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INCIDKNT  IN   OARIOLE  TKAVELLING. 


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li  C  DSON  S      BAY: 


OR    E VERY-DAY    LIFE       « 

1      £i\E  WILDS  OF  NORril  AMERICA, 


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Or-aKl-;   hJX  YEARS'   RESIDENCE  IN   THH  TETIRITORIES 
OF   THE   HON.  HUDSON'S   BAY  COMPANY. 


IVY 

ROBf^.RT  MICTIAI  '.   BALLANT\  Mi, 


-     BOSTON:^ 
FHtXLlPS,    J>AMPSON    AND    COMT'AXY 


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HUDSON'S     BAY: 


OR    EVERY-DAY    LIFE 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA, 


DURING  SIX  YEARS'  RESIDENCE  IN  THE  TERRITORIES 
OF  THE  HON.  HUDSON'S  BAY  COMPANY. 


BT 


ROBERT  MICHAEL  BALLANTYNE, 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THE  YOUKG  FUR-TKADERS.'' 


BOSTON: 
PHILLIPS,    SAMPSON    AND    COMPANY. 

1859. 


I  i; 


F 

C.I 


i     L 


RIVERSIDE,  Cambridge: 

PRINTED  BY  H.  0.  HOnOHTON  AND  COMPANY. 


I 


69707 


I .    >  /■ 


PREFACE. 


TN  publishing  the  present  work,  the  Author  rests 
-^  his  hopes  of  its  favorable  reception  chiefly  upon 
the  fact  that  its  subject  is  comparatively  new. 
Although  touched  upon  by  other  writers  in 
narratives  of  Arctic  discovery,  and  in  works  of 
general  information,  the  very  nature  of  those 
publications  prohibited  a  lengthened  or  minute 
description  of  that  every-day  life,  whose  de- 
lineation is  the  chief  aim  of  the  following 
pages. 

The  illustrative  wood-cuts  scattered  throughout 
the  volume  are  from  drawings  made  on  the  spot 
by  the  Author.  He  originally  intended  giving 
views  of  eight  or  ten  forts  and  establishments  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  but  has  thought  it 
better  to  reduce  the  number  of  these,  and  substi- 
tute, for  the  remainder,  representations  of  scenes 
and  objects  which  pages  of  letter-press  would 
otten  fail  in  placing  correctly  before  the  reader. 


I 


Pbe 


Pt 

Hud 
dinn 


St( 
Meet 
Strai 


Th 
trade 
pany 


Noi 
Manr 
animi 


Vo; 
Pemr 
way  I 


Bee 
FurC 
prairi 


CONTENTS. 


_  Pnge 

Preface, v 

CHAPTER  I. 

Preliminary  observations — Appointment  to  the  service  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company — Gravesend — The  Hudson's  Bay  ships — The 
dinner— Set  sail  for  Stornoway, 1 

CHAPTER  II. 

Stornoway— The  ball— Departure  for  Hudson's  Bay— The  sea- 
Meet  with  ice— Icebergs — Go  out  to  tea  on  the  Atlantic— Hudson's 
Straits — Hudson's  Bay— Arrival  at  York  Factory,         .       .  13 

CHAPTER  HI. 

The  Hudson's  Bay  Company— Peculiarities  of  the  service — The  far 
trade,  &c.— List  of  forts  and  establishments  belonging  to  the  Com- 
pany,          33 

CHAPTER  IV. 

North  American  Indians — The  different  tribes,  costumes,  &c. — 
Manners  and  customs— Modes  of  life— Cannibalism — Trapping  wild 
animals, 45 

CHAPTER  V. 

Voyage  to  Red  River  Settlement — Boat  travelling  in  the  interior— 
Pemmican— Duck  shooting — Scenery — Oxford  House — Lakes — Nor- 
way House — Winnipeg, 69 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Red  River— First  settlement— Climate— Skirmish  between  the  two 
Fur  Companies— Death  of  Governor  Semple— Red  River  flood — The 
prairies — My  horse  "  Taureau  "—Partridge  shooting — Death  of  the 


CONTENTS. 


Arctic  (llscovoror,  Thomns  Simpson,  K»q. — The  Hnlf-brccds — Anoc- 
dotOH  of  the  Opposition  tiinos, 66 

CHAPTER   VII. 

Arrival  at  Norway  House — Tho  Indian  village— The  clerk's  house — 
Mr.  Cumming's  adventure  with  a  black  bear — The  Indian  feast — 
Spring — How  to  catch  a  young  buffalo  alive — Amusements — Depar- 
ture for  York  Factory  in  a  light  canoe, 104 


W 

trav( 
Tlirc 
izuti( 
of  Si 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

York  Factory — Tho  climate — Extreme  cold  in  winter — Animals — 
Game,  fish — Bachelor's  Hall — Winter — Ptarmigan  or  white  partridge 
shooting — Sudden  changes  in  tho  weather — Christmas  and  Now  Year's 
doings — Disruption  of  the  ice  in  spring — Shooting  excursion  in  the 
marshes, 126 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Receive  orders  to  prepare  for  a  long  journey — Arrangements  for 
the  voyage — Leave  York  Factory  in  a  small  Indian  canoe — Canoe 
gets  broken — First  encampment — Scenery  —  Mosquitos  —  Portages 
and  rapids — Dexterity  of  the  Indians  among  rapids — Meet  Bri- 
gades— Running  rapids — Narrow  escape — Meet  north  canoes — Lakes — 
Thunderstorm — Gulls'  eggs— Oxford  House — Arrival  at  Norway 
House, 166 


A 

Esqu 
Sleep 
ceed 
rivo  ( 
bitter 
voyaj 
-Th. 
sac — 


CHAPTER  X. 

Continuation  of  the  voyage  in  a  largo  canoe  through  the  interior,  by 
the  Great  Lakes,  to  Canada — Our  light  canoe — The  first  day — Delay 
in  Lake  Winnipeg — See  a  bear — The  guide's  tale— Get  some  berries 
from  Indians — Pass  Fort  Alexander — Poi  rages  commence — Scenery — 
See  another  bear — Plums — Get  fresh  provisions  from  Indians — Meet 
Dr.  Rae,  the  Arctic  discoverer — Pass  Rat  Portage  and  Fort  Frances — 
Meet  a  party  of  Indians — Disagreeable  Avalk — Bad  travelling — Long 
portages — Height  of  land — Dangers  among  the  rapids — Narrow  escape 
— The  Kakabecka  Falls — One  of  our  men  lost — Find  him  again,  and 
arrive  at  Fort  William — Lake  Superior — Nearly  swamped  in  a  gale — 
Detention — Forget  our  fresh  provisions — Pass  the  Pic — Pass  Michipi- 
coton — Provisions  exhausted — Arrive  at  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie — Leave 
the  Sault  and  cross  Lakes  Huron  and  Nipisingue — Pass  a  shanty — 
Commencement  of  civilization — The  village  of  Aylmar— Bytown — 
Lake  of  Two  Mountains— Arrival  at  Luchine,       .        .         •         196 


\ 


/ 


CONTENTS. 


▼u 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Winter  travelling  In  Cnnadn-— Dopurtnro  from  Lnrliine— r/»cigU 
travolliiig — Calioos — Scenery  alonj?  the  road — Lmlicrous  acclilont— 
Throe  Kivors— (inolifo— Travolliuf;  bolow  (Quebec— Outskirts  of  civil- 
ization—Walk  through  the  forest— Arrival  at  Tailousac— The  (Julf 
of  St.  Lawrence— Mr.  Krown's  adventures  with  Indians — Seal-hunt- 
ing,         244 

CHAl'TEK    XII. 

A  snow-shoe  journey — Boating  in  winter — Miseries  of  a  thaw— 
Esqulmaln  River — Start  in  company  with  onu  man — Our  costumes- 
Sleeping  in  the  snow — Reach  Port  Neuf— Detention — Attempt  to  pro- 
ceed In  a  small  boat — Stopped  by  ice — Resume  our  snow-shoos — Ar- 
rive at  Isle  Joremie — Wrecks  on  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence — Frost- 
bitten sailors — Start  for  Seven  Islands — Pass  Uoodbout — Continue  the 
voyage  with  Indians — Seven  Islands — Salmon  fisheries — Seal  shooting 
— The  Trapper — Anecdotes — Solitude — Relief — Departure  for  Tadou- 
sac — The  last  voyage — Conclusion, 262 


I    . 


t 


y.:i\ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


CHAPTER  I. 


APPOINTMENT  TO  TIIE  i^ERVICE  OF  THE  HUDSON'S  BAY  C03IPANY. 

EEADER, — I  take  for  granted  that  you  are  tolerably 
well  acquainted  with  the  different  modes  of  life  and 
travelling  peculiar  to  European  nations.  I  also  presume 
that  you  know  something  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  East ; 
and,  it  may  be,  a  good  deal  of  the  Americans  in  general. 
But  I  suspect,  at  least  I  would  fain  hope,  that  you  have 
only  a  vague  and  indefinite  knowledge  of  life  in  those 
wild,  uncivilized  regions  of  the  northern  continent  of 
America  that  surround  the  shores  of  Hudson's  Bay.  I 
would  fain  hop .  this,  I  say,  that  I  may  have  the  satisfac- 
tion of  giving  you  information  on  the  subject,  and  of 
showing  you  that  there  is  a  body  of  civilized  men  who 
move,  and  breathe,  (pretty  cool  air,  by  the  way !)  and 
spend  their  lives  in  a  quarter  of  the  glebe  as  totally 
different,  in  most  respects,  from  the  part  you  inhabit,  as 
a  beaver,  roaming  among  the  ponds  and  marshes  of  his 
native  home,  is  from  that  sagacious  animal  when  con- 
verted into  a  fashionable  hat. 

About  the  middle  of  May  eighteen  hundred  and  forty- 
one,  I  was  thrown  into  a  state  of  ecstatic  joy  by  the  ar- 

1 


r 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


rival  of  a  letter  appointing  me  to  the  enviable  situation 
of  apprentica  clerk  in  the  service  of  the  Honorable 
Hudson's  Bay  Company.  To  describe  the  immense 
extent  to  which  I  expanded,  both  mentally  and  bodily, 
upon  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  is  impossible ;  it  is  suf- 
ficient to  know,  that  from  that  moment  I  fancied  myself 
a  complete  man-of-business,  and  treated  my  old  com- 
panions with  the  condescending  suavity  of  one  who  knows 
that  he  is  talking  to  his  inferiors. 

A  few  days  after,  howevdt,  my  pride  was  brought  very 
low  indeed,  as  I  lay  tossing  about  in  my  berth  on  the 
tumbling  waves  of  the  German  Ocean,  eschewing  break- 
fast as  a  dangerous  meal,  and  looking  upon  dinner  with 
a  species  of  horror  utterly  incomprehensible  by  those 
who  have  not  experienced  an  attack  of  sea-sickness. 
Miseries  of  this  description,  fortunately,  do  not  last  long. 
In  a  couple  of  days  we  got  into  the  comparatively  still 
water  of  the  Thames ;  and  I,  with  a  host  of  pale-faced 
young  ladies,  and  cadaverous-looking  young  gentlemen, 
emerged  for  the  first  time  from  the  interior  of  the  ship, 
to  behold  the  beauties  and  wonders  of  the  Great  Metrop- 
olis, as  we  glided  slowly  up  the  crowded  river. 

Leave-taking  is  a  disagreeable  subject  either  to  reflect 
upon  or  to  write  about,  so  we  will  skip  that  part  of  the 
business  and  proceed  at  once  to  Gravesend,  where  I 
stood  (having  parted  from  all  my  friends)  on  the  deck  of 
■the  good  ship  Prince  Rupert,  contemplating  the  boats  ' 
and  crowds  of  shipping  that  passed  continually  before 
me  and  thinking  iiow  soon  I  was  to  leave  the  scenes  to 
which  I  had  been  so  long  accustomed,  for  a  far  distant 
land.  I  was  a  boy,  however ;  and  this,  I  think,  is  equiv- 
alent to  saying  that  J.  did  not  sorrow  long.  My  future 
companion  and  fellow-clerk,  Mr.  Wiseacre,  was  pacing 


$ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


the  deck  near  me.  i  .•  turned  my  thoughts  into  an- 
other channel,  and  set  roe  speculating  upon  his  probable 
temper,  qualities,  and  age ;  whether  or  not  he  was 
strong  enough  to  thrash  me,  and  if  we  were  likely  to  be 
good  friends.  The  captain,  too,  was  chatting  and  laugh- 
ing with  the  doctor,  as  carelessly  as  if  he  had  not  the 
great  responsibility  of  taking  a  huge  ship  across  a  bound- 
less waste  of  waters,  and  through  fields  and  islands  of 
ice,  to  a  distant  country  some  three  thousand  miles  to 
the  northwest  of  England.  Thus  encouraged,  my  spirits 
began  to  rise,  and,  when  the  cry  arose  on  deck  that  the 
steamer  containing  the  committee  of  the  Honorable 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  was  in  sight,  I  sprang  up  the 
companion«ladder  in  a  state  of  mind,  if  not  happy,  at 
least  as  nearly  so  as  under  the  circumstances  could  be 
expected. 

Upon  gaining  the  deck,  I  beheld  a  small  steamboat 
passing  close  under  our  stern,  filled  with  a  number  of 
elderly-looking  gentlemen,  who  eyed  us  with  a  very  crit- 
ical expression  of  countenance.  I  had  a  pretty  good 
guess  who  these  gentlemen  were ;  but  had  I  been  en- 
tirely ignorant,  I  should  soon  have  been  enlightened  by 
the  remark  of  a  sailor,  who  whispered  to  his  comrade, 
"  I  say.  Bill,  them's  the  great  guns  ! " 

I  suppose  the  fact  of  their  being  so  had  a  sympathetic 
effect  upon  the  guns  of  the  Company's  three  ships,  the 
Prince  Ruperiy  Prince  Albert^  and  Prince  of  Wales,  for 
they  all  three  fired  a  salute  of  blank  cartridge  at  the 
steamer  as  she  passed  them  in  succession.  The  steamer 
then  ranged  alongside  of  us,  and  the  elderly  gentlemen 
came  on  board  and  shook  hands  with  the  captain  and 
officers,  smiling  blandly  as  they  observed  the  neat,  trim 
I  appearance  of  the  three  fine  vessels,  which,  with  every- 


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HUDSON'S  BAY. 


^  thing  in  readiness  for  setting  sail  on  the  following  morn- 
ing, strained  at  their  cables,  as  if  anxious  to  commence 
their  struggle  with  the  waves. 

It  is  a  custom  of  the  directors  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  to  give  a  public  dinner  annually  to  the  oflScers 
of  their  ships  upon  the  eve  of  their  departure  from 
Gravesend.  Accordingly,  one  of  the  gentlemen  of  the 
committee,  before  leaving  the  vessel,  invited  the  captain 
and  officers  to  attend,  and,  to  my  astonishment  and  de- 
light, also  begged  me,  to  honor  them  with  my  company. 
I  accepted  the  invitation  with  extreme  politeness ;  and, 
from  inability  to  express  my  joy  in  any  other  way, 
winked  to  my  friend  Wiseacre,  with  whom  I  had  be- 
come, by  this  time,  pretty  familiar.  He,  being  also  in- 
vited, winked  in  return  to  me ;  and,  having  disposed  of 
this  piece  of  juvenile  freemasonry  to  our  satisfaction, 
we  assisted  the  crew  in  giving  three  hearty  cheers,  as 
the  little  steamer  darted  from  the  side  and  proceeded  to 
the  shore. 

The  dinner,  like  all  other  public  dinners,  was  as  good 
and  substantial  as  a  lavish  expenditure  of  cash  could 
make  it ;  but  really  my  recollections  of  it  are  very  in- 
distinct. The  ceaseless  din  of  plates,  glasses,  knives, 
forks,  and  tongues,  was  tremendous ;  and  this,  together 
with  the  novelty  of  the  scene,  the  heat  of  the  room,  and 
excellence  of  the  viands,  tended  to  render  me  oblivious 
of  much  ihat  took  place.  Almost  all  the  faces  present 
were  strange  to  me.  Who  were,  and  who  were  not, 
the  gentlemen  of  the  committee,  was  to  me  matter  of  the 
most  perfect  indifference  ;  and  as  no  one  took  the  trouble 
to  address  me  in  particular,  I  confined  myself  to  the  in- 
teresting occupation  of  trying  to  make  sense  of  a  conver- 
sation held  by  upwards  of  fifty  pairs  of  lungs,  at  one  and 


HUDSON'S    BAY. 


the  same  time.  Nothing  intelligible,  however,  was  to  be 
heard,  except  when  a  sudden  lull  in  the  noise  gave  a 
bald-headed  old  gentleman,  near  the  head  of  the  table, 
an  opportunity  of  drinking  the  health  of  a  red-faced  old 
gentleman  near  the  foot,  upon  whom  he  bestowed  an 
amount  of  flattery  perfectly  bewildering ;  and  after  mak- 
ing the  unfortunate  red-faced  gentleman  writhe  for  half 
an  hour  in  a  fever  of  modesty,  sat  down  amid  thunders 
of  applause.  Whether  the  applause,  by  the  way,  was 
intended  for  the  speaker,  or  the  speakee,  I  do  not  know  ; 
but  being  quite  indifferent,  I  clapped  my  hands  with  the 
rest.  The  red-faced  gentleman,  now  purple  with  excite- 
ment, then  rose,  and  during  a  solemn  silence  delivered 
himself  of  a  speech,  to  the  effect,  that  the  day  then  pass- 
ing was  certainly  the  happiest  in  his  mortal  career,  that 
he  could  not  find  words  adequately  to  express  the  varied 
feelings  which  swelled  his  throbbing  bosom,  and  that 
he  felt  quite  faint  with  the  mighty  load  of  honor  just 
thrown  upon  his  delighted  shoulders  by  his  bald-headed 
friend.  The  red-faced  gentleman  then  sat  down  to  the 
national  air  of  Rat-tat-tat,  played  in  full  chorus,  with 
knives,  forks,  spoons,  nutcrackers,  and  knuckles,  on  the 
polished  surface  of  the  mahogany  table. 

We  left  the  dinner-table  at  a  late  hour,  and  after  I, 
in  company  with  some  other  youngsters,  had  done  as 
much  mischief  as  we  conveniently  could  without  risk- 
ing our  detention  by  the  strong  arm  of  the  law,  we 
went  down  to  the  beach  and  embarked  in  a  boat  with 
the  captain  for  the  ship.  How  the  sailors  ever  found 
her  in  the  impenetrable  darkness  which  prevailed  all 
around,  is  a  mystery  to  me  to  this  day.  Find  her  how- 
ever they  did,  and  in  half  an  hour  I  was  in  the  land 
of  Nod. 


•fl 


M 


\\n 


'liii 


'^ 


;  r 

1 


!    I 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


The  sun  was  blazing  high  in  the  heavens  next  morn- 
ing when  I  awoke,  and  gazed  around  for  a  few  moments 
to  discover  where  I  was ;  but  the  rattling  of  ropes  and 
blocks,  the  stamping  of  feet  overhead,  the  shouts  of  gruff 
voices,  and,  above  all,  a  certain  strange  and  disagreeable 
motion  in  my  dormitory,  soon  enlightened  me  on  that 
point.  We  were  going  rapidly  down  the  Thames,  with 
a  fair  breeze,  and  had  actually  set  sail  for  the  distant 
shores  of  Hudson's  Bay. 

"What  took  place  during  the  next  five  or  six  days  I 
know  not.  The  demon  of  sea-sickness  had  completely 
prostrated  my  faculties,  bodily  and  mental.  Some  faint 
recollections  I  have  of  stormy  weather,  horrible  noises, 
and  hurried  dinners  ;  but  the  greater  part  of  that  period 
is  a  miserable  blank  in  my  memory.  Towards  the  sixth 
day,  however,  the  savory  flavor  of  a  splendid  salmon- 
trout  floated  past  my  dried-up  nostrils  like  "Afric's  spicy 
gale,"  and  caused  my  collapsed  stomach  to  yearn  with 
strong  emotion.  The  ship,  too,  was  going  more  quietly 
through  the  water,  and  a  broad  stream  of  sunshine  shot 
through  the  small  window  of  my  berth,  penetrated  my 
breast,  and  went  down  into  the  centfe  of  my  heart,  fill- 
ing it  with  a  calm,  complacent  pleasure,  quite  indescrib- 
able. Sounds,  however,  of  an  attack  upon  the  trout 
roused  me,  and  with  a  mighty  eff"rt  I  tumbled  out  of 
bed,  donned  my  clothes,  and  seated  myself  for  the  first 
time  f  t  the  cabin  table. 

Our  party  consisted  of  the  captain  ;  Mr.  Carles,  a  chief 
factor  in  the  Company's  service ;  the  doctor ;  young  Mr. 
Wiseacre,  aforementioned ;  the  first  and  second  mates,  , 
and  myself.  The  captain  was  a  thin,  middle-sized,  off- 
hand man,  thoroughly  acquainted  with  his  profession; 
good-humored  and  gruff  by  turns ;   and  he  always  spoke 


HUDSON'S  BAY.  7 

with  the  air  of  an  oracle.  Mr.  Carles  was  a  mild,  good- 
natured  man,  of  about  fifty-five,  with  a  smooth  bald  head, 
encircled  by  a  growth  of  long  thin  hair.  He  was  stoutly 
built,  and  possessed  of  that  truly  amiable  and  captivating 
disposition  which  enters  earnestly  and  kindly  into  the 
affairs  of  others,  and  totally  repudiates  self.  From  early 
manhood  he  had  roughed  life  in  the  very  roughest  and 
wildest  scenes  of  the  wilderness,  and  was  now  returning 
to  those  scenes  after  a  short  visit  to  his  native  land. 
The  doctor  was  a  nondescript ;  a  compound  of  gravity, 
fun,  seriousness,  and  humbug — the  latter  predominating. 
He  had  been  everywhere,  (at  least  so  he  said,)  had  seen 
everything,  knew  everybody,  and  played  the  fiddle.  It 
cannot  be  said,  I  fear,  that  he  played  it  well ;  but,  amid 
the  various  vicissitudes  of  his  checkered  Jife,  the  doctor 
had  frequently  found  himself  in  company  where  his 
violin  was  almost  idolized  and  himself  deified,  especially 
when  the  place  chanced  to  be  the  American  backwoods, 
(where  violins  are  scarce,)  the  auditors  semi-barbarous 
Highlanders,  and  the  music  Scotch  reels.  Mr.  Wiseacre 
was  nothing !  He  never  spoke  except  when  compelled 
to  do  so ;  never  rwd,  and  never  cared  for  anything  or 
anybody ;  wore  very  long  hair,  which  almost  hid  his  face, 
owing  to  a  habit  which  he  had  of  holding  his  head  al- 
ways down,  and  apparently  lived  but  to  eat,  drink,  and 
sleep.  Sometimes,  though  very  rarely,  he  became  so  far- 
facetious  as  to  indulge  in  a  wink  and  a  low  giggle,  but 
beyond  this  he  seldom  soared.  The  two  mates  were- 
simply  mates.  Those  avIio  know  the  population  of  the- 
sea  will  understand  the  description  sufficiently.  Those- 
who  don't,  will  never,  I  fear,  be  made  to  understand  by 
description.  They  worked  the  ship,  hove  the  log,  chang- 
ed the  watch,  turned  out  and  tumbled  in  with  the  callous 


4 


^ 

1 

•il 

■\ 

1 


i  i 


;    >,.i 


;;     j 


\m 


•  «r ;  i 


H 


8 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


♦; 


indifference  and  stern  regularity  of  clockwork  ;  inhabited 
tarpaulin  dreadnoughts  and  sou'-westers ;  came  down  to 
meals  with  modest  diffidence,  and  walked  the  deck  witli 
bantam-cock-like  assurance.  Nevertheless,  they  were 
warm-hearted  fellows,  both  of  them,  although  the  heat 
didn't  often  come  to  the  surface.  The  first  mate  was  a 
broad  Scotchman,  in  every  sense  of  the  term  ;  the  second 
was  a  burly  little  Englishman. 

"  How's  the  wind,  Collins,"  said  the  captain,  as  the 
second  mate  sat  down  at  the  dinner-table,  and  brushed 
the  spray  from  his  face  with  the  back  of  his  brown  hand. 

"  Changed  a  point  to  the  s'uthard  o*  sou'- west,  sir,"  he 
answered,  "  and  looks  as  if  it  would  blow  hard." 

"  Humph,"  ejaculated  the  captain,  while  he  proceeded 
to  help  the  fish  ;  "  I  hope  it'll  only  keep  quiet  till  we  get 
into  blue  water,  and  then  it  may  blow  like  blazes  for  all 
I  care.  Take  some  trout,  doctor  ?  It's  the  last  you'll 
put  your  teeth  through  for  six  weeks  to  come,  I  know ; 
so  make  the  most  of  it.  I  wish  I  were  only  through  the 
Pentland  Firth,  and  scudding  under  full  sail  for  the  ice 
— I  do ; "  and  the  captain  looked  fiercely  at  the  com- 
pass which  hung  over  his  head,  as  if  he  had  said  some- 
thing worthy  of  being  recorded  in  history,  and  began  to 
oat. 

After  a  pause  of  five  minutes  or  so,  during  which  time 
the  knives  and  forks  had  been  clattering  pretty  vigor- 
ously, and  the  trout  had  become  a  miserable  skeleton,  the 
captain  resumed  his  discourse.  "I  tell  you  what  it  is 
now,  gentlemen,  if  there's  not  going  to  be  a  change  of 
some  sort  or  other,  I'm  no  sailor." 

"It  does  look  very  threatening,"  said  Mr.  Carles, 
peering  through  the  stern  window.  "  I  don't  much  like 
the  look  of  these  clouds  behind  us.    Look  there,  doctor,'* 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


9 


he  continued,  pointing  towards  the  window,  "what  do 
you  think  of  that?" 

"  Nothing,"  replied  the  doctor  through  a  mouthful  of 
duff  and  potatoes  ;  "  a  squall,  I  fancy — wish  it'd  only 
wait  till  after  dinner." 

"  It  never  does,"  said  the  captain.  "  I've  been  to  sea 
these  fifteen  years,  and  I  always  found  that  squalls  came 
on  at  breakfast  or  dinner,  like  an  unwelcome  visitor. 
They've  got  a  thorough  contempt  for  tea — seem  to  know 
it's  but  swipes,  and  not  worth  pitching  into  one's  lap — 
but  dinner's  sure  to  brlng'em  on,  if  they're  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  make'em  bu'st  their  cheeks  at  you.  Re- 
member once,  when  I  was  cruising  in  the  Mediten-anean, 

in  Lord  P 's  yacht,  we'd  been  stewing  on  deck  under 

an  awning  the  whole  forenoon,  scarce  able  to  breathe, 
when,  the  bell  rang  for  dinner.  Well,  down  we  all 
tumbled,  about  ten  ladies  and  fifteen  gentlemen,  or  there- 
abouts, and  seated  oursel  /es  round  the  table.    There  was 

no  end  of  grub  of  every  kind.     Lord  P was  eccentric 

in  that  way,  and  was  always  at  some  new  dodge  or  other 
in  the  way  of  cookery.  At  this  time  he  had  invented  a 
new  dumpling.  Its  jacket  was  much  the  same  as  usual 
— inch-thick  duff" — but  its  contents  were  beyond  anything 
I  ever  saw,  except  the  maw  of  an  old  shark.  "Well,  just 
as  the  steward  took  off  the  cover,  hiss-s  went  the  wind 
overhead,  and  one  of  those  confounded  squalls,  that  come 
rattling  down  without  a  moment's  warning  in  those  parts, 
struck  the  ship,  and  gave  her  a  heel  over  that  sent  the 
saltcellars  chasing  the  tumblers  like  all-possessed ;  and 
the  great  dumpling  gave  a  heavy  lurch  to  leeward,  rolled 
fairly  over  on  its  beam  ends,  and  began  to  course  straight 
down  the  table  quite  sedate  and  quiet  like.  Several 
dives  were  made  at  it  by  the  gentlemen  as  it  passed,  but 


IT 


■  1 
fi .  '   i 


'■■■  I   \ 


V- 


I   jf| 
i 


11 


i   >l.l 


10 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


"* 


they  all  missed,  and,  finally,  just  as  a  youngster  made  a 
grab  at  it  with  both  hands,  that  bid  fair  to  be  successful, 
another  howl  of  the  squall  changed  its  course,  and  sent  it 
like  a  cannon-shot  straight  into.the  face  of  the  steward, 
where  it  split  its  sides  and  scattered  its  contents  right 
and  left.  I  don't  know  how  it  ended,  for  I  bolted  up  the 
companion,  and  saw  the  squall  splitting  away  to  leeward, 
shrieking  as  it  went,  just  as  if  it  were  rejoicing  at  the 
mischief  it  had  done."  '  ^  '■■ 

The  laugh  which  greeted  the  captain's  anecdote  had 
scarce  subsided  when  the  tough  sides  of  the  good  Prince 
Rupert  gave  a  gentle  creak,  and  the  angle  at  which  the 
active  steward  perambulated  the  cabin  became  absurdly 
acute.  . 

Just  then  the  doctor  cast  his  eye  up  at  the  compass 
suspended  above  the  captain's  head. 

"  Hallo  ! "  said  he  ;  but  before  he  could  give  utterance 
to  the  sentiments  to  which  "  hallo  "  was  the  preface,  the  . 
hoarse  voice  of  the  first  mate  came  rolling  down  the  com- 
panion-hatch— "A  squall,  sir,  scoorin'  doon  like  mad — 
wund's  veered  richt  roond  to  the  nor'east."  The  captain 
and  second  mate  sprang  hastily  to  their  feet  and  rushed 
upon  deck,  where  the  rest  of  us  joined  them  as  speedily 
as  possible. 

On  gaining  the  quarter-deck,  tho  scene  that  presented 
itself  was  truly  grand.  Thick  black  clouds  rolled  heavily 
overhead,  and  cast  a  gloom  upon  the  sea,  which  caused 
it  to  look  like  ink.  Not  a  breath  of  wind  swelled  the 
sails,  which  the  men  were  actively  engaged  in  taking  in. 
Far  away  on  our  weather-quarter  the  clouds  were  thicker 
and  darker,  and,  just  where  they  met  the  sea,  there  was 
seen  a  bright  streak  of  white,  which  rapidly  grew  broader 
and  brighter,  until  we  could  perceive  that  it  was  the  sea 


\\ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


11 


lashed  into  a  seething  foam  by  the  gale  which  was  sweep- 
ing ove  it. 

"  Mind  your  helm ! "  shouted  the  captain. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir  !  "  sang  out  the  man  at  the  wheel ;  and 
in  another  moment  the  storm  burst  upon  us  with  all  its 
fury,  laying  the  huge  vessel  over  on  its  side,  as  if  it  had 
been  a  feather  on  the  wave,  and  causing  her  to  fly  through 
the  black  water  like  a  dolphin.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
first  violence  of  the  squall  passed  away,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  a  steady  breeze,  which  bore  us  merrily  along 
over  the  swelling  billows. 

"A  stiff  one  that,"  said  the  captain,  turning  to  the 
doctor,  who,  with  imperturbable  nonchalance,  was  stand- 
ing near  him,  holding  on  to  a  stancheon  with  one  hand, 
while  the  other  reposed  in  his  breeches  pocket. 

"  I  hope  it  will  last,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  If  it  does, 
we'll  not  be  long  of  reaching  the  blue  water  you  long  so 
much  for." 

Young  "Wiseacre,  who,  during  the  squall  had  been 
clutching  the  weather-shrouds  with  the  tenacity  of  a 
drowning  man,  opened  his  eyes  very  wide  on  hearing 
this,  to  him,  insane  wish,  and  said  to  me  in  an  under- 
tone, "  I  say,  do  you  think  the  doctor  is  quite  right  in 
his  mind?" 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,"  replied  I.  "  Why  do  you 
ask  ?  " 

"  Because  I  heard  him  say  to  the  captain,  he  wished 
that  this  would  last." 

"  Is  that  all  ?  "  said  I,  while  a  very  vile  spirit  of  vanity 
took  possession  of  me,  inducing  me  to  speak  in  a  tone 
which  indicated  a  tranquillity  of  mind  that  I  certainly 
did  not  enjoy.  "  Oh,  this  is  nothing  at  all.  I  see  you've 
never  been  on  salt  water  before.     Just  wait  a  bit,  old 


^ 


i^l! 


•M 


IS 


HUDSON'S   BAY. 


fellow  !  "  And  having  given  utterance  to  this  somewhat 
dark  and  mysterious  expression,  I  staggered  across  the 
deck,  and  amused  myself  in  watching  the  thick  volumes 
of  spray  that  flew,  at  every  plunge,  from  the  sides  of  the 
bounding  vessel. 

The  doctor's  wish  was  granted.  The  breeze  continued 
steady  and  strong,  currying  us  through  the  Pcntland 
Firth  in  grand  style,  and  carrying  us  in  a  short  time  to 
tlie  island  of  Lewis,  where  we  hove-to  for  a  pilot.  After 
a  little  signalizing  we  obtained  one,  who  steered  our  good 
ship  in  safety  through  the  narrow  entrance  to  the  bay  of 
Stornoway,  into  whose  quiet  waters  we  finally  dropt  our 
anchor. 


Jl     ^ 


>      i  I 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


13 


1 


CHAPTER  II. 


STORNOWAY— THE  VOYAOE-TIIE  ARRIVAL. 


■  f 


THE  »  ar"'<or  -^  Stornoway  is  surrounded  by  high  hill^, 
fcxeept  at  tbe  entrance,  where  a  passage,  not  more,  I 
shoukl  li/.uk,  than  three  hundred  yards  wide,  admits  ves- 
sels of  any  tonnage  into  its  sheltering  bosom.  Storno- 
way, a  ]^retty,  modest-looking  town,  apparently  pleased 
with  its  lot,  and  contented  to  be  far  away  from  the  busy 
and  bustling  world,  lies  snugly  at  the  bottom  of  the  bay. 
Here  we  remained  upwards  of  a  week,  engaging  men  for 
the  wild  Nor'west,  and  cultivating  the  acquaintance  of  the 
people,  who  were  extremely  kind  and  very  hospitable. 
Occasionally,  Wiseacre  and  I  amused  ourselves  with  fish- 
ing excursions  to  the  middle  of  the  bay  in  small  boats,  in 
which  excursions  we  were  usually  accompanied  by  two 
or  three  very  ragged  little  boys  from  the  town.  Our 
sport  was  generally  good,  and  rendered  extremely  inter- 
esting by  our  uncertainty  as  to  which  of  the  monsters  of 
the  deep  would  first  attack  our  hooks.  Rock-codlings  and 
flounders  appeared  «the  most  voracious,  and  occasionally 
a  skate  or  long-legge<!  crab  came  struggling  to  the  surface. 
Ju.stl'Bfore  leaviiv^'  this  peaceful  little  spot,  our  captain 
gave  a  grand  ball  on  board,  to  which  were  invited  the  elite 
of  Stornoway.  Great  preparations  were  made  for  the  occa- 
The  quarter-deck  was  well  washed  and  scrubbed ; 


sion. 


an  awning  was  .-pren4  over  it,  which  formed  a  capital 
ceiling;   and  representalives  of  almost  every  flag  that 


..,! 


I  ij 


I  .1 1 


H 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


^:::h 


II   i     I 


waves  formed  the  walls  of  the  large  and  airy  apartment. 
Oil  lamps,  placed  upon  the  sky-lights,  companion,  and 
capstan,  shed  a  mellow  light  upon  the  scene,  the  roman- 
tic effect  of  which  was  greatly  heightened  by  a  few  flick- 
ering rays  of  the  moon,  which  shot  through  various  open- 
ings in  the  drapery,  and  disparted  playfully  upon  the 
deck.  At  an  early  and  very  unfashionable  hour  on  the 
evening  of  the  appointed  night,  the  guests  arrived  in  de- 
tachments ;  and,  while  the  gentlemen  scrambled  up  the 
side  of  the  vessel,  the  ladies,  amid  a  good  deal  of  blush- 
ing and  hesitation,  were  hoisted  on  board  in  a  chair.  Tea 
was  served  on  deck ;  and,  after  half  an  hour's  laughing 
and  chatting,  during  which  time  our  violin-player  was 
endeavoring  to  coax  his  first  string  to  the  proper  pitch 
without  breaking,  the  ball  opened  with  a  Scotch  reel. 

Every  one  knows  what  Scotch  reels  are,  but  every  one 
does  not  know  how  the  belles  of  the  Western  Isles  can 
dance  them. 

"  Just  look  at  that  slip  of  thread-paper,"  said  the  doc- 
tor to  the  captain,  pointing  to  a  thin,  flat  young  lady  still 
in  her  teens;  "I've  watched  her  from  the  first — she's 
been  up  at  six  successive  rounds,  flinging  her  shanks 
about  worse  than  a  teething  baby,  and  she's  up  again  for 
another,  just  as  cool  and  serene  as  a  night  in  the  latter 
end  of  October.     I  wonder  what  site's  made  of." 

"  Leather,  p'r'aps,  or  gutta  percha,"  suggested  the  cap- 
tain, who  had  himself  been  "  flinging  his  legs "  about 
pretty  violently  during  the  previous  half  hour ;  ''  I  wish 
that  she  had  been  my  partner  instead  of  the  heavy  fair 
one  that  you  see  over  there  leaning  against  the  raizzen 
belaying-pins." 

"  Which  ?  "  inquired  the  doctor ;  "  the  old  lady  with 
the  stu'n-says  set  on  her  shoulders  ?  " 


»■«* 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


15 


"  No,  no,"  replied  the  captain,  "  the  young  lady,  fat — 
very  fat,  fair,  and  twenty,  with  the  big  blue  eyes,  like 
signal  lamps  on  a  locomotive  ;  she  twisted  me  round  just 
as  if  I'd  been  a  fathom  of  pump-water,  shouting  and 
laughing  all  the  time  in  my  face,  like  a  sou'west  gale, 
and  never  looking  a  bit  where  she  was  going,  till  she 
pitched  headforemost  into  the  union-jack,  carrying  it  and 
me  along  with  her,  off  the  quarter-deck  and  halfway 
down  the  companion.  It's  a  blessing  she  fell  undermost, 
else  I  should  have  been  spread  all  over  the  deck  like  a 
capsized  pail  of  slops." 

"  Hallo  !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor,  "  what's  wrong  with 
tlie  old  lady  over  there.  She's  making  very  uncommon 
faces ! " 

"  She's  sea-sick,  I  do  believe ! "  cried  the  captain,  rush- 
ing across  the  deck  towards  her.  And,  without  doubt, 
the  old  lady  in  question  was  showing  symptoms  of  that 
terrible  malady,  although  the  bay  was  as  smooth  as  a 
mill-pond,  and  the  Prince  Rupert  reposed  on  its  quiet 
bosom  without  the  slightest  perceptible  motion. 

With  impressive  nautical  politeness  the  captain  handed 
her  below,  and,  in  the  sudden  sympathy  of  his  heart  pro- 
posed, as  a  remedy,  a  stiff  glass  of  brandy  and  water. 

"  Or  a  pipe  of  cavendish,"  suggested  the  second  mate, 
who  met  them  on  the  ladder  as  they  descended,  and  could 
not  refrain  from  a  facetious  remark,  even  although  he 
knew  it  would,  as  it  did,  call  forth  a  thundering  com- 
mand from  his  superior  to  go  on  deck  and  mind  his  own 
business. 

"  Isn't  it  jolly,"  said  a  young  Stornowite,  coming  up  to 
Wiseacre,  with  a  face  blazing  with  glee — "  isn't  it  jolly, 
Mr.  Wiseacre  ?  " 

"  Oh !  very,"  replied  Wiseacre,  in  a  voice  of  such  dis- 


in 


::  \l 


\  ■'■ 


'  E 


16 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


mal  melancholy  that  the  young  Stornowite's  countenance 
instantly  went  out,  and  he  wheeled  suddenly  round  to 
light  it  again  at  the  visage  of  some  more  sympathizing 
companion.  ( 

Just  at  this  point  of  the  revelry  the  fiddler's  first  string, 
which  had  endured  with  a  dogged  tenacity  that  was  won- 
derful even  for  catgut,  gave  way  with  a  loud  bang,  caus- 
ing an  abrupt  termination  to  the  uproar  and  producing  a 
dead  silence.  A  few  minutes,  liowever,  soon  rectified 
this  mischance.  The  discordant  tones  of  the  violin,  as 
the  new  string  was  tortured  into  tune,  once  more  opened 
the  safety-valve,  and  the  ball  began  de  novo. 

Great  was  the  fun,  and  numerous  were  the  ludicrous 
incidents,  that  happened  during  that  eventful  night ;  and 
loud  were  the  noise  and  merriment  of  the  dancers  as  they 
went  with  vigorous  energj--  through  the  bewildering  evo- 
lutions of  country-dance  and  reel.  Immense  was  the 
delight  of  the  company  when  the  funniest  old  gentleman 
there  volunteered  a  song ;  and  ecstatic  the  joy  when  he 
followed  it  up  by  a  speech  upon  every  subject  that  an 
ordinary  mind  could  possibly  embrace  in  a  quarter  of  an 
hour.  But  who  can  describe  the  scene  that  ensued,  when 
supper  was  reported  ready  in  the  cabin !  A  cabin  that 
was  very  small  indeed,  with  a  stair  leading  down  to  it  so 
steep  that  those  who  were  pretty  high  up  could  have 
easily  stepped  upon  the  shoulders  of  those  who  were 
near  the  foot,  and  the  unpleasant  idea  was  painfully  sug- 
gested, that  if  any  one  of  the  heavy  ladies  (there  were 
several  of  them)  was  to  slip  her  foot  on  commencing  the 
descent,  she  would  infallibly  sweep  them  all  down  in  a 
mass,  and  cram  them  into  the  cook's  pantry,  the  door  of 
which  stood  wickedly  open  at  the  foot  of  the  stair,  as  if 
it   anticipated   some   such   catastrophe.     Such  pushing, 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


17 


squeezing,  laughing,  shrieking,  and  joking,  in  the  vain 
attempt  made  to  get  upwards  of  thirty  people  crammed 
into  a  room  of  twelve  feet  by  ten  !  Such  droll  and  cut- 
ting remarks  as  were  made  when  they  were  at  last  re- 
quested to  sup  in  detachments !  All  this,  however,  was 
nothing  to  what  ensued  after  supper,  when  the  fiddler 
became  more  energetic,  and  the  dancers  more  vigorous 
than  ever.  But  enough.  The  first  gray  streaks  of  morn- 
ing glimmered  in  the  east  ere  the  joyous  party  "  tumbled 
down  the  sides,"  and  departed  to  their  homes. 

There  is  a  sweet  yet  melancholy  pleasure,  when  far 
away  from  friends  and  home,  in  thinking  over  happy  days^ 
gone  by,  and  dwelling  on  the  scenes  and  pleasures  that 
have  passed  away,  perhaps  forever.  So  I  thought  and 
felt,  as  I  recalled  to  mind  the  fun  and  frolic  of  the  Stornoi- 
way  ball,  and  the  graver  mirth  of  the  Gravesend  dinner,, 
until  memory  traced  my  course  backward,  step  by  step,, 
to  the  peaceful  time  when  I  dwelt  in  Scotland,  surrounded 
by  the  gentle  inmates  of  my  happy  home.  We  had  left 
the  shores  and  the  green  water  behind  us,  and  were  now 
ploughing  through  the  blue  waves  of  the  wide  Atlantic ; 
and,  when  I  turned  ray  straining  eyes  towards  the  faint 
blue  line  of  the  lessening  hills,  "  a  tear  unbidden  trem- 
bled," as  the  thought  arose  that  I  looked,  perhaps,  for  the 
last  time  upon  my  dear  native  land. 

The  sea  has  ever  been  an  inexhaustible  subject  for  the 
pens  of  most  classes  of  writers.  The  poet,  the  traveller, 
and  the  novelist  have  each  devoted  a  portion  of  their  time 
and  talents  to  the  mighty  ocean ;  but  that  part  of  it  which 
it  has  fallen  to  my  lot  to  describe  is  very  different  from 
those  portions  about  which  poets  have  sung  with  rapture. 
Here,  none  of  the  many  wonders  of  the  tropical  latitudes 
beguile  the  tedium  of  the  voyage ;  no  glittering  dolphins 


.  i  ■ ; 


i 


';, 


18  HUDSON'S  BAY. 

<• 
force  the  winged  inhabitants  of  the  deep  to  seek  shelter 

on  the  vessel's  deck ;  no  ravenous  sharks  follow  in  our 
wake  to  eat  us  if  we  chance  to  fall  overboard,  or  amuse 
us  by  swallowing  our  baited  hook;  no  passing  vessel 
cheered  us  with  the  knowledge  that  there  were  others 
besides  ourselves  roaming  over  the  interminable  waste  of 
waters.  All  was  dreary  and  monotonous ;  the  same  un- 
varying expanse  of  sky  and  water  met  our  gaze  each 
morning  as  we  ascended  to  the  deck,  to  walk  for  half-an- 
hour  before  breakfast,  except  when  the  topsails  of  the 
other  two  vessels  fluttered  for  a  moment  on  the  distant 
horizon.  Occasionally  we  approached  closer  to  each 
other,  and  once  or  twice  hailed  with  the  trumpet ;  but 
these  breaks  in  the  solitude  of  our  existence  were  few 
and  far  between. 

Towards  the  end  of  July  we  approached  Hudson's 
Straits,  having  seen  nothing  on  the  way  worth  mention- 
ing, except  one  whale,  which  passed  close  under  the  stern 
of  the  ship.  This  was  a  great  novelty  to  me,  being  the 
first  that  I  had  ever  seen,  and  it  gave  me  something  to 
talk  of  and  think  about  for  the  next  four  days. 

The  ships  now  began  to  close  in,  as  we  neared  the  en- 
trance of  the  straits,  and  we  had  the  pleasure  of  sailing 
in  company  for  a  few  days.  The  shores  of  the  straits 
became  visible  occasionally,  and  =>oon  we  passed  with  per- 
fect confidence  and  security  among  those  narrow  channels 
and  mountains  of  ice  that  damped  the  ardour  and  re- 
tarded the  progress  of  Hudson,  Button,  Gibbons,  an*!, 
other  navigators  in  days  of  yore.  ' 

One  day,  during  a  dead  calm,  our  ship  and  the  Prince 
of  Wales  lay  close  to  each  other,  rolling  in  the  swell  of 
the  glassy  ocean.  There  seemed  to  be  no  prospect  of  a 
breeze ;  so  the  captain  ordered  his  gig  to  be  launched, 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


19 


and  invited  the  doctor,  Mr.  Carles,  and  myself,  to  go  on 
board  the  Prince  of  Wales  with  him.  We  accepted  his 
offer,  and  were  soon  alongside.  Old  Captain  Ryle,  a 
veteran  in  the  Company's  service,  received  us  kindly,  and 
insisted  on  our  staying  to  tea.  The  passengers  on  board 
were,  a  chief  factor,*  who  had  been  home  on  leave  of  ab- 
sence, and  was  returning  to  end  his  days,  perhaps,  in  the 
northwest ;  and  Mr.  John  Leagues,  a  young  apprentice 
clerk,  going,  like  myself,  to  try  his  fortune  in  Hudson's 
Bay.  He  was  a  fine,  candid  young  fellow,  full  of  spirit, 
with  a  kind,  engaging  disposition.  From  the  first  mo- 
ment I  saw  him  I  formed  a  friendship  for  him,  which  was 
destined  to  ripen  into  a  lasting  one  many,  years  after.  I 
sighed  on  parting  from  him  that  evening,  thinking  that 
we  should  never  meet  again ;  but  about  six  years  from 
the  time  I  bade  him  farewell  in  Hudson's  Straits,  I  again 
grasped  his  hand  on  the  shores  of  the  mighty  St.  Law- 
rence, and  renewed  a  friendship  which  afforded  me  the 
greatest  pleasure  I  enjoyed  in  the  country,  and  which,  I 
trust,  neither  time  nor  distance  wiU  ever  lessen  or  destroy. 

We  spent  the  evening  delightfully,  the  more  so  that 
we  were  not  likely  to  have  such  an  opportunity  again,  as 
the  Prince  of  Wales  would  shortly  part  company  from 
us,  and  direct  her  course  to  Moose  Factory,  in  James's 
Bay,  while  we  should  proceed  across  Hudson's  Bay  to 
York  Factory.  We  left  the  ship  just  as  a  few  cat's-paws 
on  the  surface  of  the  water  gave  indications  of  a  coming 
breeze. 

Ice  now  began  to  surround  us  in  all  directions,  and 
soon  after  this  I  saw,  for  the  first  time,  that  monster  of 
the  Polar  Seas,  an  iceberg.    It  was  a  noble  sight.    We 

*  The  chief  factorship  is  the  highest  rank  attainable  in  the  service  ^ 
the  chief  trader  being  next. 


t  r 


;;  I 


20 


HUDSON'^  BAY. 


passed  quite  close,  and  had  a  fine  opportunity  of  observ- 
ing it.  Tliough  not  so  large  as  they  are  frequently  seen, 
it  was  beautifully  and  fantastically  formed.  High  peaks 
rose  from  it  on  various  places,  and  down  its  sides  streams 
of  water  and  miniature  cataracts  flowed  in  torrents.  The 
whole  mass  was  of  a  delicate  greenish-white  color,  and 
its  lofty  pinnacles  sparkled  in  the  moonbeams  as  it  floated 
past,  bending  majestically  in  the  swell  of  the  ocean. 
About  this  time,  too,  we  met  numerous  fields  and  floes 
of  ice,  to  get  through  which  we  often  experienced  con- 
siderable difiiculty. 

My  favorite  amusement,  as  we  thus  threaded  our  way 
through  the  ice,  was  to  ascend  to  the  royal-yard,  and 
there  to  sit  and  cogitate  whilst  gazing  on  the  most  beau- 
tiful and  romantic  scenes. 

It  is  impossible  to  convey  a  correct  idea  of  the  beauty, 
the  magnificence,  of  some  of  the  scenes  through.which  we 
passed.  Sometimes  thousands  of  the  most  grotesque, 
fanciful,  and  beautiful  icebergs  and  icefields  surrounded 
us  on  all  sides,  intersected  by  numerous  serpentine  ca- 
nals, which  glittered  in  the  sun,  (for  the  weather  was  fine 
nearly  all  the  time  we  were  in  the  straits,)  like  threads 
of  silver  twining  round  ruined  palaces  of  crystal.  The 
masses  assumed  every  variety  of  form  and  size,  and  many 
of  them  bore  such  a  striking  reromblance  to  cathedrals, 
churches,  columns,  arches,  and  spires,  that  I  could  almost 
fancy  we  had  been  transported  to  one  of  the  floating 
cities  of  Fairy-land.  The  rapid  motion,  too,  of  our  ship, 
in  what  appeared  a  dead  calm,  added  much  to  the  mag- 
ical effect  of  the  scene.  A  light  but  steady  breeze  urged 
her  along  with  considerable  velocity  through  a  maze  of 
ponds  and  canals,  which,  from  the  immense  quantity  of 
ice  that  surrounded  them,  were  calm  and  unruflied  as 
the  surface  of  a  mill-pond.  ^ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


21 


Not  a  sound  disturbed  the  delightful  stillness  of  na- 
ture, save  the  gentle  rippling  of  the  vessel's  bow  as  she 
sped  on  her  way,  or  the  occasional  puffing  of  a  laay 
whale,  awakened  from  a  nap  by  our  unceremonious  in- 
trusion on  his  domains.  Now  and  then,  however,  my 
reveries  were  interrupted  by  the  ship  coming  into  sudden 
contract  with  huge  lumps  of  ice.  This  happened  occa- 
sionally when  we  arrived  at  the  termination  of  one  of 
those  natural  canals  through  which  we  passed,  and  found 
it  necessary  to  force  our  way  into  the  next.  These  con- 
cussions were  occasionally  very  severe ;  so  much  so,  at 
times,  as  to  make  the  ship's  bell  ring ;  but  we  heeded 
this  little,  as  the  vessel  was  provided  with  huge  blocks 
of  timber  on  her  bows,  called  ice-pieces,  and  was  besides 
built  expressly  for  sailing  in  the  northern  seas.  It  only 
became  annoying  at  meal-times,  when  a  spoonful  of  soup 
would  sometimes  make  a  little  private  excursion  of  its 
own  over  the  shoulder  of  the  owner,  instead  of  into  his 
mouth.     >•» 

As  we  proceeded,  the  ice  became  more  closely  packed, 
and  at  last  compelled  us  to  bore  through  it.  The  ship, 
however,  was  never  altogether  arrested,  though  often 
much  retarded.  I  recollect,  while  thus  surrounded,  fill- 
ing a  bucket  with  water  from  a  pool  on  the  ice,  to  see 
whether  it  was  fresh  or  not,  as  I  had  been  rather  skep- 
tical upon  this  point.  It  was  excellent,  and  might  almost 
compete  with  the  water  from  the  famous  spring  of  Craw- 
ley !  In  a  few  days  ^xe  got  out  of  the  ice  altogether, 
and  in  this,  as  the  ships  are  frequently  detained  for 
weeks  in  the  straits,  we  considered  ourselves  verj'  for- 
tunate. 

We  all  experienced  at  this  time  a  severe  disappoint- 
ment in  the  non-appearance  of  the  Esquimaux  from  the 


il            ' 

■ 

1 

1 

i' 

Hi 


1 1 , 

Hi 
flit 


•!  ! 


^^*Vo 


22 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


coast.  The  captain  said  they  would  be  sure  to  come  off 
to  us,  as  they  had  always  been  in  the  habit  of  doing  so, 
for  the  purpose  of  exchanging  ivory  and  oil,  for  saws, 
files,  needles,  &c..  a  large  chest  full  of  which  is  put  on 
board  annually  for  this  purpose.  The  ivory  usually  pro- 
cured from  them  is  walrus  tusks.  These  are  not  very 
large,  and  are  of  inferior  quality. 

As  we  approached  the  shores  of  the  straits  we  short- 
ened sail  and  fired  three  or  four  guns,  but  no  noisy 
"chimo  "  floated  across  the  water  in  answer  to  our  salute ; 
still  we  lingered  for  a  while,  but,  as  there  was  no  sign 
of  the  natives  on  shore,  the  captain  concluded  they  had 
gone  off  to  the  interior,  and  he  steered  out  to  sea  again. 
I  was  very  much  disappointed  at  this,  as  it  was  wholly 
unexpected,  and  Wiseacre  and  I  had  promised  ourselves 
much  pleasure  in  trading  with  them  ;  for  which  purpose 
all  the  buttons  of  our  old  waistcoats  had  been  amputated. 
It  was  useless,  however,  to  repine,  so  I  contented  myself 
with  the  hope  that  they  would  yet  visit  us  in  some  other 
part  of  the  straits.  We  afterwards  learned  that  our 
guns  had  attracted  them  to  ihe  coast  in  time  to  board  the 
Prince  Albert,  (which  was  out  of  sight  astern,)  though 
too  late  for  us. 

The  passage  across  Hudson's  Bay  was  stormy,  but  no 
one  on  board  cared  for  this,  all  having  become  accus- 
tomed to  rough  weather.  For  my  part,  I  had  become 
quite  a  sailor,  and  could  ascend  and  descend  easily  to  the 
truck  without  creeping  through  the  lubber's  hole.  I  shall 
not  forget  the  first  time  I  attempted  this ;  our  youngest 
apprentice  had  challenged  me  to  try  it,  so  up  we  went 
together — he  on  the  fore,  and  I  on  the  main  mast.  The 
tops  were  gained  easily,  and  we  even  made  two  or  three 
steps  up  the  top-mast  shrouds  with  affected  indifference ; 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


23 


)ff 


but,  alas!  our  courage  was  failing,  at  least  mine  was, 
very  fast.  However,  we  gained  the  cross-trees  pretty- 
well,  and  then  sat  down  for  a  little  to  recover  breath. 
The  top-gallant-raast  still  reared  its  taper  form  high  above 
me,  and  the  worst  was  yet  to  come.  The  top-gallant 
shrouds  had  no  rattlins  on  them,  so  I  was  obliged  to  shin 
up ;  and,  as  I  worked  myself  up  the  two  small  ropes,  the 
tenacity  with  which  I  grasped  them  was  fearful.  At  last 
I  reached  the  f  ;>.  "^d  with  my  feet  on  the  small  collar 
that  fastens  the  ropes  to  the  mast,  and  my  arms  circling 
the  mast  itself — for  nothing  but  a  bare  pole,  and  crossed 
by  the  royal-yard,  now  rose  above  me — I  glanced  up- 
wards. After  taking  a  long  breath,  and  screwing  up  my 
courage,  I  slowly  shinned  up  the  slender  pole,  and,  stand- 
ing on  the  royal-yard,  laid  my  hand  upon  the  truck ! 
After  a  time  I  became  accustomed  to  it,  and  thought 
nothing  of  taking  an  airing  on  the  royal-yard  after  break- 
fast. 

About  the  oth  or  6th  of  August,  the  captain  said  we 
must  be  near  the  land.  The  deep  sea  lead  was  rigged, 
and  a  sharp  look-out  kept,  but  no  land  appeared.  At 
last,  one  fine  day,  while  at  the  mast-head,  I  saw  some- 
thing like  land  on  the  horizon,  and  told  them  so  on  deck. 
They  saw  it  too,  but  gave  me  no  answer.  Soon  a  hur- 
ried order  «:o  "  dowse  top-gallant-sails  and  reef  top-sails  " 
made  me  slide  down  rather  hastily  from  my  elevated 
position.  I  had  scarcely  gained  the  deck,  when  a  squall, 
the  severest  we  had  yet  encountered,  struck  the  ship,  lay- 
ing her  almost  on  her  beam-ends,  and  the  sea,  which  had 
been  nearly  calm  a  few  minutes  before,  foamed  and  hissed 
like  a  seething  caldron,  and  became  white  as  snow. 
This,  I  believe,  was  what  sailors  call  a  white  squall.  It 
was  as  short  as  it  was  severe,  and  great  was  our  relief 


I 

\'A\\ 

\ 

■A 

II  ! 


f 

■  \ 

\ 

[■J 

'    ■ 

■1 

i  ■ 

?! 

J 

24 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


when  the  ship  regained  her  natural  position  in  the  water. 
Next  day  we  saw  hind  in  earnest,  and  in  the  afternoon 
anchored  in  "  Five  Fathom  Hole,"  after  passing  in  safety 
a  sand-har,  which  renders  the  entrance  into  this  roadstead 
rather  difficult. 

Here,  then,  for  the  first  time,  I  beheld  the  shores  of 
Hudson's  Bay ;  and,  truly,  their  appearance  was  any- 
thing but  prepossessing.  Though  only  at  the  distance  of 
two  miles,  so  low  and  flat  was  the  land  that  it  appeared 
ten  miles  off,  and  scarcely  a  tree  was  to  be  seen.  We 
could  just  see  the  tops  of  one  or  two  houses  in  York 
Factory,  the  principal  depot  of  the  country,  which  was 
seven  miles  up  the  river,  at  the  mouth  of  which  we  lay. 
In  a  short  time,  the  sails  of  a  small  schooner  came  in 
sight,  and  in  half  an  hour  more  the  Frances  (named  aft^r 
the  amiable  lady  of  the  governor,  Sir  George  Simpson) 
was  riding  alongside. 

The  skipper  came  on  board,  and  immediately  there 
commenced  between  him  and  the  captain  a  sharp  fire  of 
questions  and  answers,  which  roused  me  from  a  slumber 
in  which  I  had  been  indulging,  and  hurried  me  on  deck. 
Here  the  face  of  things  had  changed.  The  hatches  were 
off,  and  bales  of  goods  were  scattered  about  in  all  direc- 
tions ;  another  small  schooner  had  arrived,  and  the  pro- 
cess of  discharging  the  vessel  was  going  rapidly  forward. 
A  boat  was  then  despatched  to  the  factory  Avith  the 
packet-box  and  letter-bag,  and  soon  after  the  Frances 
stood  in  for  the  shore.  i 

The  Prince  Albert  had  arrived  almost  at  the  same 
moment  with  the  Prince  Rupert,  and  was  now  visited  by 
the  second  schooner,  which  soon  returned  to  our  ship  to 
take  the  passengers  on  shore.  The  passengers  who 
came  out  in  the  Prince  Albert  were  ou  board,  namely, 


the 


1    I 


m 


^        HUDSON'S  BAY.  .    25 

the  Rev.  Mr.  Gowley,  a^lergyman  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  his  lady,  and  Mr.  Rob,  a  sort  of  catechist 
or  semi-clerical  schoolmaster.  They  were  missionaries 
bound  for  Red  River  Colony,  and  as  I  had  some  prospect 
of  going  there  myself,  I  was  delighted  to  have  the  prob- 
able chance  of  travelling  with  companions  who,  from  the 
short  survey. I  had  of  them  while  they  conversed  with 
the  captain  and  Mr.  Carles,  seemed  good-natured  and 
agreeable.  •       • 

Mr.  Carles,  Mr.  Wiseacre,  and  I,  now  bade  adieu  to 
the  good  ship  which  had  been  our  home  for  such  a  length 
of  time,  (but  I  must  say  I  did  not  regret  the  parting,) 
and  followed  our  baggage  on  board  the  schooner,  expect- 
ing to  reach  the  factory  before  dusk.  "  There's  many  a 
slip  'twixt  the  cup  and  the  lip,"  is  a  proverb  well  au- 
thenticated and  often  quoted,  and  on  the  present  occasion 
its  truth  was  verified.  "We  had  not  been  long  under 
weigh  before  the  ebb  tide  began  to  run  so  strong  against 
us  as  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  our  reaching  the  shore 
that  night.  There  was  no  help  for  it,  however ;  so  down 
went  the  anchor  to  the  bottom,  and  down  went  I  to  the 
cabin. 

Such  a  cabin !  A  good-sized  trunk,  with  a  small  table 
in  it,  and  the  lid  shut  down,  had  about  as  much  right  to 
the  name.  It  was  awfully  small ;  even  /  could  not 
stand  upright  in  it,  though  at  the  time  I  had  scarcely 
attained  to  the  altitude  of  five  feet ;  yet  here  were  we 
destined  to  pass  the  night — and  a  wretched  night  we  did 
pass !  We  got  over .  the  first  part  tolerably,  but  as  it 
grew  late  our  eyes  grew  heavy ;  we  yawned,  fidgeted, 
and  made  superhuman  efforts  to  keep  awake  and  seem 
happy ;  but  it  would  not  do.  There  were  only  two  berths 
in  the  cabin ;  and,  as  so  many  gentlemen  were  present, 


*( 


I 


i 


''  I 


I  II 


i   I'    ■  .  I 


:  :r: 


i  :,i! 


2C 


HUDSON'S  DAY. 


Mrs.  Gowley  would  not  get  into  either  of  them,  but  de- 
clared she  would  sit  up  all  night.  The  gentlemen,  on 
the  other  hand,  could  not  be  so  ungallant  as  to  go  to 
sleep  while  the  only  lady  present  sat  up.  The  case  was 
desperate,  and  so  I  went  off  to  the  hold,  intending  to  lie 
down  on  a  bale,  if  I  rould  find  one.  In  my  search,  I 
tumbled  over  something  soft,  which  gave  vent  to  a  fright- 
ful howl,  and  proved  to  be  no  less  a  personage  than  Mr. 
Wiseacre,  who  had  anticipated  me,  and  found  a  con- 
venient place  whereon  to  lie.  My  search,  however,  was 
less  successful.  Not  a  corner  big  enough  for  a  cat  to 
sleep  in  was  to  be  found,  all  the  goods  having  been  flung 
hastily  into  the  hold,  so  that  it  was  a  chaos  of  box  corners, 
stove  legs,  edges  of  kegs  and  casks,  which  presented  a 
surface  that  put  to  flight  all  hope  of  horizontal  repose ; 
so  I  was  obliged  to  return  to  the  cabin,  where  I  found 
the  unhappy  inmates  winking  and  blinking  at  each  other 
like  owij  in  the  sunshine. 

"  You  had  better  make  use  of  one  of  these  berths,  my 
young  friend,"  said  Mr.  Gowley,  with  a  bland  smile,  as  I 
entered ;  "  you  seem  very  much  overcome  with  sleep, 
and  we  have  resolved  to  sit  up  all  night." 

"  Do  get  in,"  urged  Mrs.  Gowley,  who  was  a  sweet, 
gentle  creature,  and  seemed  much  too  delicate  and  fragile 
to  stand  the  rough  life  that  was  likely  to  be  the  lot  of  the 
wife  of  a  missionary  to  the  Red  men  of  the  Far  North ; 
"  I  do  not  intend  to  lie  down  to-night,  and,  besides,  it  will 
soon  be  morning."  A  sw^eet  but  very  sleepy  smile  flitted 
across  her  face  as  she  spoke. 

Of  course,  I  protested  against  this  with  great  vehe- 
mence, assuring  them  that  I  could  not  think  of  anything 
so  ungallant,  and  that  I  meant  to  sit  it  out  manfully  with 
the  rest.    JMr.  Rob,  who  was  a  comical  little  Welshman, 


BVIMM>N'8  HAY, 


f7 


of  about  thirty  years  of  i\<^c,  with  a  sh«rp,  snub  nose, 
which  was  decorated  with  spectacles,  sat  huddled  up  in  a 
corner,  immersed  in  slrc^piness  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
would  not  have  smiled  or  worlds,  and  spent  the  weary 
hours  in  vain  efforts  to  keep  his  head  on  Ins  should(!rs — 
an  object,  apparently,  of  some  difficulty,  seeing  that  it 
swayed  backwards  and  forwards  and  'round  about  like 
that  of  a  Chinese  mandarin  I  For  a  few  minutes  I 
sat  gazing  steadfastly  at  the  revolving  object  before  me, 
when  my  own  head  became  similarly  affected,  and  fell 
suddenly  back  against  the  bulkhead  with  a  tremendous 
crash,  wakening  them  all  up,  and  causing  Mr.  Rob 
to  stare  at  me  with  an  expression  of  vacant  gravity, 
mingled  with  surprise,  which  slowly  and  gradually 
faded  away  again  as  sleep  reasserted  its  irresistible 
power. 

Flesh  and  blood  could  not  stand  this ;  I  would  have 
lain  down  on  the  table,  but  poor  Mrs.  Gowley's  head  al- 
ready cc  /ered  the  greater  part  of  that — or  on  the  floor, 
but,  alas !  it  was  too  small.  At  last  I  began  to  reason 
thus  with  myself:  "Here  are  two  capital  beds,  with 
nobody  in  them  ;  it  is  the  height  of  folly  to  permit  them 
to  remam  empty ;  but  then,  what  a  selfish-looking  thing 
to  leave  Mrs.  Gowley  sitting  up !  After  all,  she  won't 
go  to  bed.  Oh  dear !  what  is  to  be  done  ?  "  (Bang  went 
the  head  again.)  "  You'd  better  turn  in,"  said  Mr.  Gow- 
ley. Again  I  protested  that  I  could  not  think  of  it ;  but 
my  eyes  would  not  keep  open  to  look  him  in  the  face. 
At  last  my  scruples — I  blush  to  say  it — were  overcome, 
and  I  allowed  myself  to  be  half  forced  into  the  berth, 
while  Mr.  Rob,  whose  self-denial  could  endure  no  longer, 
took  advantage  of  the  confusion  thus  occasioned,  and  van- 
ished into  the  other  like  a  harlequin.   Poor  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


m. 


1  I 


28 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


I     ! 


Gowley  laid  their  innocent  heads  side  by  side  upon  the 
table,  and  snored  in  concert. 

How  long  I  slept  I  know  not ;  but  long  before  day  a 
tremendous  thumping  awoke  me,  and  after  I  had  col- 
lected my  faculties  enough  to  understand  it,  I  found  that 
the  schooner  was  grounding  as  the  tide  receded.  "  Oh  ! " 
thought  I,  and,  being  utterly  incapable  of  thinking  more, 
I  fell  back  on  the  pillow  again,  sound  asleep,  and  did  not 
awake  till  long  after  daybreak.  ■  .? 

,  Next  moraing  was  beautiful ;  but  we  were  still 
aground,  and,  from  what  the  skipper  said,  there  appeared 
to  be  no  prospect  of  getting  ashore  till  the  afternoon. 
Our  patience,  however,  was  not  tried  so  long ;  for,  early 
in  the  day,  a  boat  came  off  from  the  factory  to  take  us 
ashore,  but  the  missionaries  preferred  remaining  in  the 
schooner.  Mr.  Carles,  young  Wiseacre,  and  I,  gladly 
availed  ourselves  of  the  opportunity,  and  were  soon  sail- 
ing with  a  fair  breeze  up  Hayes  River.  We  approached 
to  within  a  few  yards  of  the  shore ;  and  I  formed,  at 
first  sight,  a  very  poor  opinion  of  the  country  which, 
two  years  later,  I  was  destined  to  traverse  full  many 
a  mile  in  search  of  the  feathered  inhabitants  of  the 
marshes. 

The  point  of  marsh,  which  was  the  first  land  we  made, 
was  quite  low,  only  a  few  feet  above  the  sea,  and  stud- 
ded here  and  there  with  thick  willows,  but  not  a  single 
tree.  Long  lank  grass  covered  it  in  every  place,  afford- 
ing ducks  and  geese  shelter  in  the  autumn  and  spring. 
In  the  centre  of  it  stood  the  ship-beacon,  a  tall,  ungainly- 
looking  pile,  which  rose  upwards  like  a  monster  out  of  the 
water.  AltogetVer,  a  more  desolate  prospect  could  not  . 
well  be  imagined. 

The  banks  of  Hayes  River  are  formed  of  clay,  and 


^ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


29 


they  improved  a  little  in  verdure  as  we  ascended ;  but 
still,  wherever  the  eye  turned,  the  same  universal  flat- 
ness met  the  gaze.  The  river  was  here  about  two 
miles  wide,  and  filled  with  shallows  and  sandbanks, 
which  render  the  navigation  difficult  for  vessels  of  above 
fifty  tons. 

As  we  proceeded,  a  small  bark  canoe,  with  an  Indian 
and  his  wife  in  it,  glided  swiftly  past  us ;  and  this  was 
the  first  Indian,  and  the  first  of  these  slender  craft,  I  had 
seen.  Afterwards,  I  became  more  intimately  acquainted 
with  them  than  was  altogether  agreeable. 

In  a  short  time  we  reached  the  wooden  wharf,  which, 
owing  to  the  smallness  of  everything  else  in  the  vicinity, 
had  rather  an  imposing  look,  and  projected  a  long  way 
into  the  water  ;  but  our  boat  passed  this  and  made  for  a 
small  slip,  on  which  two  or  three  gentlemen  waited  to 
receive  us. 

My  voyage  was  ended.  The  boat's  keel  grated  harsh- 
ly on  the  gravel,  the  next  moment  my  feet  once  more 
pressed  terra  firman  and  I  stood  at  last  on  the  shores  of 
the  New  World,  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land. 

I  do  not  intend  to  give  a  minute  description  of  York 
Factory  here,  as  a  full  account  of  it  will  be  found  in  a 
succeeding  chapter,  and  shall,  therefore,  confine  myself 
to  a  shght  sketch  of  the  establishment,  and  our  proceed- 
ings there  during  a  stay  of  about  three  weeks. 

York  Factory  is  the  principal  depot  of  the  Northern 
department,  from  whence  all  the  supplies  for  the  trade 
are  issued,  and  where  all  the  furs  of  the  district  are  col- 
lected and  shipped  for  England.  As  may  be  supposed, 
then,  the  establishment  is  a  large  one.  There  are  always 
between  thirty  and  forty  men  resident  at  the  post,*  sum- 

*  The  word  "jjws^,"  used  here  and  elsewhere  throughout  the  book, 


!.;! 


;  iil 


• !  ! 


-J 


tiMI 


30 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


mer  and  winter  ;  generally  four  or  five  clerks,  a  post- 
master, and  a  skipper  for  the  small  schooners.  The 
whole  is  under  the  direction  and  superintendence  of  a 
chief  factor,  or  chief  trader. 

As  the  Vv'inter  is  very  long,  (nearly  eight  months,)  and 
the  summer  very  short,  all  the  transport  of  goods  to,  and 
returns  from,  the  interior,  must  necessarily  be  effected  as 
quickly  as  possible.  The  consequence  is,  that  great  num- 
bers of  men  and  boats  are  constantly  arriving  from  the 
inland  posts,  and  departing  again,  during  the  summer; 
and  as  each  brigade  is  commanded  by  a  chief  factor, 
trader,  or  clerk,  there  is.  a  constant  succession  of  new 
faces,  which,  after  a  long  and  dreary  winter,  during  which 
the  inhabitants  never  see  a  stranger,  renders  the  sum- 
mer at  York  Factory  the  most  agreeable  part  of  the 
year.  The  arrival  of  the  ship  from  England,  too,  de- 
lights these  inhabitants  of  the  wilderness  with  letters 
from  homef  which  can  only  be  received  twice  a  year — 
namely,  at  the  time  now  alluded  to,  by  the  ship ;  and 
again  in  December,  when  letters  and  accounts  are  con- 
veyed throughout  the  interior  by  means  of  sledges  drawn 
by  men. 

The  fort,  (as  all  establishments  in  the  Indian  country, 
whether  small  or  great,  are  sometimes  called,)  is  a  large 
square,  I  should  think  about  six  o^-  seven  acres,  enclosed 
within  high  stockades,  and  planted  on  the  banks  of  Hayes 
River,  nearly  five  miles  from  its  mouth.  The  houses  are 
all  of  wood,  and,  of  course,  have  no  pretension  to  archi- 
tectural beauty;,  but  their ^clean  white  appearance  and 
regularity  have  a  pleasing  effect  on  the  eye.  Before 
the  front  gate  stand  four  large  brass  field-pieces;  but 

signifies  an  establishment  of  any  kind,  small  or  great,  and  has  no 
reference  whatever  to  the  "jwsi "  of  epistolary  notoriety. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


'31 


these  warlike  instruments  are  only  used  for  the  purpose 
of  saluting  the  ship  with  blank  cartridge  on  her  arrival 
and  departure,  the  decayed  state  of  the  carriages  render- 
ing it  dangerous  to  load  the  guns  with  a  full  charge. 

The  country,  as  I  said  before,  is  flat  and  swampy,  and 
the  only  objects  that  rise  very  prominently  above  the 
rest,  and  catch  the  wandering  eye,  are  a  lofty  "  outlook," 
or  scaffolding  of  wood,  painted  black,  from  which  to 
watch  for  the  arrival  of  the  ship ;  and  a  flag-staff,  from 
whose  peak,  on  Sundays,  the  snowy  folds  of  St.  George's 
flag  flutter  in  the  breeze. 

Such  was  York  Factory  in  1841 ;  and  as  this  descrip- 
tion is  sufficient  to  give  a  general  idea  of  the  place,  I 
shall  conclude  it,  and  proceed  with  my  narrative. 

Mr.  Grave,  the  chief  factor  then  in  charge,  received  us 
very  kindly,  and  introduced  us  to  some  of  the  gentlemen 
standing  beside  him  on  the  wharf.  Mr.  Carles,  being 
also  a  chief  factor,  was  taken  by  him  to  the  commissioned 
gentlemen's  house,  while  Wiseacre  and  I,  being  apprentice 
clerks,  weie  shown  the  young  gentlemen's  house — or,  as 
the  young  gentlemen  themselves  called  it,  Bachelors' 
Hall — and  were  told  to  make  ourselves  at  home.  To 
Bachelors'  Hall,  then,  we  proceeded,  and  introduced  our- 
selves. The  persons  assembled  there  were,  the  account- 
ant, five  clerks,  the  postmaster,  and  one  or  two  others. 
Some  of  them  were  smoking,  and  some  talking,  and  a 
pretty  considerable  noise  they  made.  Bachelors'  Hall, 
indeed,  was  worthy  of  its  name,  being  a  place  that  would 
have  killed  any  woman,  so  full  was  it  of  smoke,  noise, 
and  confusion. 

After  having  made  ourselves  acquainted  with  every- 
body, I  thought  it  time  to  present  a  letter  of  introduction 
I  had  to  Mrs.  Grave,  the  wife  of  the  gentleman  in  charge, 


' 

■  t    ■ 

I 


i :  '. 


.  i! 


■  ■  ! 


?  '! 


82 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


who  received  me  very  kindly.  I  was  much  indebted  to 
this  lady  for  supplying  me  with  several  pairs  of  moccasins 
for  my  further  voyage,  and  much  useful  information,  with- 
out which  I  should  have  been  badly  off  indeed.  Had  it 
not  been  for  her  kindness,  I  should  in  all  probability  have 
been  allowed  to  depart  very  ill  provided  for  the  journey 
to  Ked  River,  for  which  I  was  desired  to  hold  myself  in 
readiness.  Young  Wiseacre,  on  the  o;her  hand,  learned 
that  he  was  to  remain  at  York  Factory  that  winter,  and 
was  placed  in  the  office  the  day  after  our  arrival,  where 
he  commenced  worh  for  the  first  time.  We  had  a  long 
and  sage  conversation  upon  the  subject  the  same  evening, 
and  I  well  remember  congratulating  1dm,  with  an  ex- 
tremely grave  face,  upon  his  having  now  begun  to  do  for 
himself.  Poor  fellow,  his  subsequent  travels  in  the  coun- 
try were  long  and  perilous. 

But  let  us  pause  here  awhile.    The  reader  has  been 
landed  in  a  new  country,  and  it  may  be  well,  before  dc 
scribing  our  voyage  to  Red  River,  to  make  him  acquainted 
with  the  peculiarities  of  the  service,  and  the  people  with 
whom  he  will  in  imagination  have  to  associate. 


ul 


i  / 


\  I 


.T'f/ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


88 


'      ■  ■  \' 

i 

'1 

.      .. 

i     i 

■-3 

{          i 

•  ■     } 

CHAPTER  m. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  HUDSON'S  BAY  COMPANY. 

IN  the  year  16G9j  a  company  was  formed  in  London, 
under  the  direction  of  Prince  Rupert,  for  the  purpose 
of  prosecuting  the  fur  trade  in  the  regions  surrounding 
Hudson's  Bay.  This  company  obtained  a  charter  from. 
Charles  II.,  granting  to  them  and  their  successors,  under 
the  name  of  "  the  Governor  and  Company  of  Adventurers- 
trading  into  Hudson's  Bay,"  the  sole  right  of  trading  ia 
all  the  country  watered  by  rivers  flowing  into  Hudson's. 
Bay.  The  charter  also  authorized  them  to  build  and  fit 
out  men-of-war,  establish  forts,  prevent  any  other  com- 
pany from  carrying  on  trade  with  the  natives  in  their 
territories,  and  required  that  they  should  do  all  in  their 
power  to  promote  discovery. 

Armed  with  these  powers,  then,  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  established  a  fort  near  the  head  of  James's 
Bay.  Soon  afterwards,  several  others  were  built  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  country;  and  before  long,  the  Com- 
pany spread  and  grew  wealthy,  and  eventually  extended 
their  trade  far  beyond  the  chartered  limits. 

With  the  internal  economy  of  the  Company  under 
the  superintendence  of  Prince  Rupert,  however,  I  am 
not  acquainted ;  but  as  n  will  be  necessary  to  the 
reader's  forming  a  correct  idea  of  the  peculiarities  of 
the  country  and  service,  that  he  should  know  some- 
thing of  its  character  under  the  direction  of  the  present 

3 


■  i<i 


.,,  ,.| .  .1 


!! 


'  i 


84 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


active  governor,  I  shall  give  a  brief  outline  of  its  ar- 


111 


i> 


rangements. 


Reader,  you  will  materially  assist  me  in  my  description 
if  you  will  endeavor  to  draw  the  following  landscape  on 
the  retina  of  your  mind's  eye. 

Imagine  an  immense  extent  of  country,  many  hundred 
miles  broad  and  many  hundred  miles  long,  covered  with 
dense  forests,  expanded  lakes,  broad  rivers,  wide  prairies, 
swamps,  and  mighty  mountains  ;  and  all  in  a  state  of  pri- 
meval simplicity — undefaced  by  the  axe  of  civilized  man, 
and  untenanted  by  aught  save  a  few  roving  hordes  of 
Red  Indifins  and  myriads  of  wild  animals.  Imagine 
amid  this  wilderness  a  number  of  small  squares,  each  in- 
•closing  half-a-dozen  wooden  houses  and  about  a  dozen 
men,  and  between  each  of  these  establishments  a  space 
of  forest  varying  from  fifty  to  three  hundred  miles  in 
length ;  and  you  will  have  a  pretty  correct  idea  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company's  territories,  and  of  the  number 
of,  and  distance  between  their  forts.  The  idea,  however, 
may  be  still  more  correctly  obtained,  by  imagining  popu- 
lous Great  Britain  converted  into  a  wilderness  and 
planted  in  the  middle  of  Rupert's  Land.  The  Company, 
in  that  case,  w^ould  build  three  forts  in  it — one  at  the 
Land's-end,  one  in  Wales,  and  one  in  the  Highlands ;  so 
that  in  Britain  there  would  be  but  three  hamlets,  with  a 
population  of  some  thirty  men,  half-a-dozen  women,  and 
a  few  children !  The  Company's  posts  extend,  with  these 
intervals  between,  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  ocean, 
and  from  within  the  Arctic  Circle  to  the  northern  boun- 
daries of  the  United  States. 

Throughout  this  immense  country  there  are  probably 
not  more  ladies  than  would  suffice  to  form  half-a-dozen 
quadrilles;    and  these — poor  banished  creatures! — are 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


85 


m 


chiefly  the  wives  of  the  principal  gentlemen  connected 
with  the  fur  trade.  The  rest  of  the  female  population 
consist  chiefly  of  half-breeds  and  Indians ;  the  latter  en- 
tirely devoid  of  education,  and  the  former  as  much  en- 
lightened as  can  be  expected  from  those  whose  life  is 
spent  in  such  a  country.  Even  these  are  not  very  nu- 
merous, and  yet  without  them  the  men  would  be  in  a  sad 
condition,  for  they  are  the  only  tailors  and  washer-women 
in  the  country,  and  make  all  the  mittens,  moccasins,  fur 
caps,  deer- skin  coats,  &c.,  &c.,  worn  in  the  land. 

There  are  one  or  two  favored  spots,  however,  into 
which  a  missionary  or  two  have  penetrated ;  and  in  Ked 
River  settlement,  the  only  colony  in  the  Company's  terri- 
tories, there  are  several  churches  and  clergymen,  both 
Protestant  and  Roman  '^atholr.c. 

The  country  is  divided  into  four  large  departments. 
The  Northern  department,  which  includes  all  the  estab- 
lishments in  the  far  north  and  frozen  regions ;  the  South- 
ern department,  including  those  to  the  south  and  east  of 
this,  the  post  at  the  head  of  James's  Bay,  and  along  the 
shores  of  Lake  Superior ;  the  Montreal  department,  in- 
cluding the  country  in  the  neighborhood  of  Montreal, 
up  the  Ottawa  River,  and  along  the  north  shore  of  the 
Gplf  of  St.  Lawrence  and  Esquimaux  Bay;  and  the 
Columbia  department,  which  comprehends  an  immense 
extent  of  country  to  the  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
including  the  Oregon  territory,  which,  although  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company  still  trade  in  it,  now  belongs  to  the 
Americans. 

These  departments  are  divided  into  a  number  of  dis- 
tricts each  under  the  direction  of  an  influential  officer ; 
and  these  again  are  subdivided  into  numerous  establish- 
ments, forts,  posts,  and  outposts. 


.1 1; 


1  m 


:  I- 


! 


86 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


The  name  of  fort^  as  already  remarked,  is  given  to  all 
the  posts  in  the  country,  but  some  of  them  certainly  do 
not  merit  the  name  ;  indeed,  few  of  them  do.  The  only 
two  in  the  country  that  are  real,  hondjide  forts,  are  Fort 
Garry  and  the  Stone  Fort  in  the  colony  of  Red  River, 
which  are  surrounded  by  stone  walls  with  bastions  at  the 
comers.  The  others  are  merely  defended  by  wooden 
pickets  or  stockades ;  and  a  few,  where  the  Indians  are 
quiet  and  harmless,  are  entirely  destitute  of  defence  of 
any  kind.  Some  of  the  chief  posts  have  a  complement 
of  about  thirty  or  forty  men ;  but  most  of  them  have 
only  ten,  jfive,  four,  and  even  two,  besides  the  gentleman 
in  charge.  As  in  most  instances  these  posts  are  planted 
in  a  wilderness  far  from  men,  and  the  inhabitants  have 
only  the  society  of  each  other,  some  idea  may  be  formed 
of  the  solitary  life  led  by  many  of  the  Company's  ser- 
vants. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  forts  in  the  four  different 
departments,  as  correctly  given  as  possible ;  but,  owing 
to  the  great  number  in  the  country,  the  constant  abandon- 
ing of  old  and  establishing  of  new  forts,  it  is  difficult  to 
get  at  a  perfectly  correct  knowledge  of  their  number 
and  names : — 


NORTHEBM 

York  Fort  (the  depot). 
Churchill. 
Severn. 
Oxford  House. 
Trout  Lake  House. 
Norway  House. 
Nelson  River  House. 
Berens  River  House. 
Red  River  Colony. 
Fort  Garry. 
Stone  Fort. 


Depaktment. 

Manitoba  House. 
Fo..t  Pelly. 
Cumberland  House. 
Carlton  House. 
Fort  Pitt. 
Edmonton. 

Rocky  Mountain  House. 
Fort  Assinaboine. 
Jasper's  House. 
Henry's  House. 
Fort  Chipewyan. 


f  * 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


37 


Fort  Vermilion. 
Fort  DunvegaD. 
Fort  Simpson. 
Fort  Norman. 
Fort  Good  Hope. 
Fort  Hallcett. 


Fori  Resolution. 
Peel's  Rivet 
Fort  Alex  .i.uer. 
Rat  Portage  House, 
fort  Frances. 
Isle  h  la  Crosse. 


;rf 

"  ■  "'111 

' 

Southern  Department. 


Moose  Factory  (the  depot). 

Rupert's  House. 

Fort  George. 

Michlskan. 

Albany. 

Lac  Seul. 

Kinogomousse. 

Matawagaming'ie. 

Kuckatoosh. 

New  Brunswick. 

Abitibi. 

Temiscamingue. 

Grand  Lac. 

Trout  Lake. 

MONTREAl^ 

Lachine  (the  depot). 

Riviere  du  Moine. 

Lac  des  AUumettes. 

Fort  Coulonge. 

Riviere  Desert. 

Lac  des  Sables. 

Lake  of  Two  Mountains. 

Kikandatch. 

Weymontachingue. 

Rat  River. 

Ashabmoushwan. 

Chicoutimie. 

Lake  St.  John's. 

Tadousac. 

Isle  J^r^mie. 

Port  Neuf. 


Mntarva. 

Canasicomica. 

Lacloche. 

Sault  de  Ste.  Maria. 

Fort  ^Viiiiam. 

Pic  House. 

Michipicoton. 

Bachiwino. 

Nepigon. 

Washwonaby. 

Pike  Lake. 

Temagamy. 

Green  Lake. 

Missisague. 

Department. 

Goodbout. 
Trinity  River. 
Seven  Islands. 

iVlIugnil. 

Nabisippi. 
Natosquene. 
Musquarro. 
Fort  Nascopie. 
Mainewan  Lake. 
Sctndy  Banks. 
Gull  Islands. 
Northwest  River. 
Rigolet. 
Kiboksk. 
Eyelick. 


Columbia  Department. 
Fort  Vancouver  (the  depot).       Fort  George. 


;  1 ;  '.  I 


38 


HUDSON'S  HAY. 


Nez  Perce. 
Ockaimgan. 
Colvillo. 
Fort  Hall. 
Thompson's  Rivor. 
Fort  Ltingley. 
Coottinies. 
Flat-head  Post. 


Nisqually. 
Alexandria. 
Fort  Chllcotin. 
Fore  Jiimes. 

Fort  Fluz  Cuz.  •  », 

Bablne  Lake. 

And  an  agency  in  the  Sandwich 
Islands. 


There  are  seven  different  grades  in  the  service.  First 
the  laborer,  who  is  ready  to  turn  liis  hand  to  anything ; 
to  become  a  trapper,  fishcman,  or  rough  carpenter,  at 
the  shortest  notice.  He  is  generally  employed  in  cutting 
firewood  for  the  consumption  of  the  establishment  at 
which  he  is  stationed,  shovelling  snow  from  before  the 
doors,  mending  all  sorts  of  damages  to  all  sorts  of  things, 
and,  during  the  summer  months,  in  transporting  furs  and 
goods  between  his  post  and  the  nearest  depot.  Next  in 
rank  is  the  interpreter.  He  is,  for  the  most  part,  an  in- 
telligent laborer,  cf  pretty  long  standing  in  the  service, 
who,  having  picked  up  a  smattering  of  Indian,  is  conse- 
quently very  useful  in  trading  with  the  natives.  After 
the  interpreter  comes  the  postmaster,  usually  a  promoted 
laborer,  who,  for  good  behavior  or  valuable  services,  has 
been  put  upon  a  footing  with  the  gentlemen  of  the  ser- 
vice, in  the  same  manner  that  n  private  soldier  in  the 
army  is  sometimes  raised  to  the  rank  of  a  commissioned 
officer.  At  whatever  station  a  postmaster  may  happen 
to  be  placed,  he  is  generally  the  most  useful  and  active 
man  there.  He  is  often  placed  in  charge  of  one  of  the 
many  small  stations,  or  outposts,  throughout  the  country. 
Next  are  the  apprentice  clerks — raw  lads,  who  come  out 
fresh  from  school,  with  their  mouths  agape  at  the  wonders 
they  behold  in  Hudson's  Bay.  They  generally,  for  the 
purpose  of  appearing  manly,  acquire  all  the  bad  habits 


f  V 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


39 


of  the  coiuilry  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  arc  stuffed  full 
of  what  they  call  fun,  with  a  strong  spice  of  mischief. 
They  become  more  sensible  and  sedate  before  they  get 
through  "the  first  five  years  of  their  apprenticeship,  after 
which  they  attain  to  the  rank  of  clerks.  The  clerk,  after 
a  number  of  years'  service,  (averaging  from  thirteen  to 
twenty,)  becomes  a  chief  trader,  (or  half-shareholder,) 
and  in  a  few  years  more  he  attains  the  highest  rank  to 
which  any  one  can  rise  in  the  service,  that  of  chief 
factor  (or  shareholder). 

It  is  a  strange  fact,  that  three  fourths  of  the  Com- 
pany's servants  are  Scotch  Highlanders  and  Orkney- 
men.  There  are  very  few  Irishmen,  and  still  fewer 
English.  A  great  number,  however,  are  half-breeds  and 
French  Canadians,  especially  among  the  laborers  and 
voyageurs. 

From  the  great  extent,  aid  variety  of  feature,  in  the 
country  occupied  by  the  fur  traders,  they  subsist,  as  may 
be  supposed,  on  widely  different  kinds  of  food.  In  the 
prairie,  or  plain  countries,  animal  food  is  chiefly  used,  as 
there  thousanu^j  of  deer  and  bisons  wander  about,  while 
the  woods  are  stocked  with  game  and  wild-fowl.  In 
other  places,  however,  where  deer  are  scarce  and  game 
not  so  abundant,  fish  of  various  kinds  are  caught  in  the 
rivers  and  lakes  ;  and  in  other  parts  of  the  country  they 
live  partly  upon  fish  and  partly  upon  animal  food.  Vege- 
tables are  very  scarce  in  the  more  northern  posts,  owing 
to  the  severity  of  the  winter,  and  consequent  shortness 
of  summer.  As  the  Company's  servants  are  liable,  on 
the  shortest  notice,  to  be  sent  from  one  end  of  the  con- 
tinent to  another,  they  are  quite  accustomed  to  change  of 
diet ; — one  year  rejoicing  in  buffalo-humps  and  marrow- 
bones, in  the  prairies  of  *he  Saskatchewan,  and  the  next 


• 

i 

1 

* 
1 

1 


40 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


devouring  hung  white-fish  and  scarce  venison,  in  the 
sterile  regions  of  Mackenzie's  River,  or  varying  the  meal 
with  ft  little  of  that  delectable  substance  often  spoken  of 
by  Franklin,  Back,  and  Richardson,  as  their  only  dish^ 
namely,  tripe'de-roche — a  lichen  or  moss  Avhich  grows  on 
the  most  barren  rocks,  and  is  only  used  as  food  in  the 
absence  of  all  other  provisions. 

During  the  first  years  of  the  Company,  they  were 
much  censured  for  not  carrying  out  the  provision  con- 
tained in  the  royal  charter,  that  they  should  prosecute 
discovery  as  much  as  possible  ;  and  it  was  even  alleged 
that  they  endeavored  to  prevent  adventuters,  not  con- 
nected with  themselves,  from  advancing  in  their  re- 
searches. There  is  every  reason  to  believe,  however, 
that  this  censure  was  undeserved.  A  new  company, 
recently  formed  in  a  wild  country,  could  not  at  first  be 
expected  to  have  time  or  funds  to  advance  the  arduous 
and  expensive  cause  of  discovery.  With  regard  to  their 
having  impeded  the  attempts  of  others,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  any  one  in  the  service  ever  did  so ;  but  even 
had  such  been  the  case,  the  unauthorized  and  dishonor- 
able conduct  of  one  or  two  of  their  servants  does  not 
sanction  the  condemnation  of  the  whole  Company.  Be- 
sides, the  cause  of  discovery  was  effectively  advanced  in 
former  days  by  Heme,  and  in  later  years  by  Dease  and 
Simpson,  Dr.  Rae,  and  others ;  so  that,  whatever  might 
have  been  the  case  at  first,  'ht.  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  Company  are  doing  much  ^n-  the  cause  now. 

The  trade  carried  on  by  the  Company  is  in  peltrigs  of 
all  sorts,  oil,  dried  and  salted  fei  .  feathers,  quills,  &e. 
A  list  of  some t)f  their  princi^.J  articles  of  commerce  is 
subjoined: —  ■" 


h 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


41 


Bcaver-skins. 

Bcar-skiiis,  Black. 

Ditto,  Brown. 

Ditto,  Wliito  or  Polar. 

Ditto,  Grizzly. 

Bftdger-skins. 

Buffalo  or  Bison  Robes.* 

Cnstorum.t 

Deer-skliis,  Rein. 

Ditto,  Red. 

Ditto,  Moose  or  Elk. 

Ditto,  parchment. 

Feathers  of  all  kinds. 

Fisher-skins. 

Fox-skins,  Black. 

Ditto,  Silver. 

Ditto,  Cross.  ^      ■ 


Fox-skins,  Red. 

Ditto,  White. 

Ditto,  Blue. 

Goose-skins. 

Ivory  (tusks  of  the  Walrus). 

Lynx-skins. 

Marten-skins. 

Musquash-skins. 

Otter-skins. 

Oil,  Seal. 

Ditto,  Whale. 

Swan-skins. 

Salmon,  salted. 

Seal-skins. 

Wolf-skins. 

Wolveriue-skins. 


The  most  valuable  of  the  furs  mentioned  in  the  above 
list  is  that  of  the  black  fox.  This  beautiful  animal  re- 
sembles in  shape  the  common  fox  of  England,  but  it  is 
much  larger,  and  jet  black,  with  the  exception  of  one  or 
two  white  hairs  along  the  backbone  and  a  pure  white 
tuft  on  the  end  of  the  tail.  A  single  skin  sometimes 
brings  from  twenty-five  to  iinrty  guineas  in  the  British 
market;  but,  unfortuna  liey  are  very  scarce.     The 

silver  fox  differs  from  ..ho  black  fox  only  in  the  number 
of  white  hairs  with  which  its  fur  is  sprinkled ;  and  the 
more  numerous  the  white  hairs,  the  less  valuable  does  it 
become.  The  cross  fox  is  a  cross  between  the  black  or 
silver  and  the  red  fox.  The  red  fox  bears  a  much  in- 
ferior fur  to  the  other  kinds;   yet  it  is  a  good  article 

*  The  hide  of  the  bison — or,  as  it  is  called  by  the  fur  traders,  the 
buffalo — when  dressed  on  one  side  and  the  hair  left  on  the  other,  is 
called  a  robe.  Great  numbers  are  sent  to  Canada,  where  they  are 
used  for  sleigh  wrappers  in  winter.  In  the  Indian  country  they  are 
often  used  instead  of  blankets. 

t  A  substance  procured  from  the  body  of  the  beaver. 


liii 


:1 

•  i 

':ii:i 

;  i 

ill 

i  ■ 

:  i     . 

I 

42 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


of  trade,  as  this  species  is  very  numerous.  These  four 
kinds  of  foxes  are  sometimes  produced  in  the  same  litter, 
the  mother  being  a  red  fox.  The  white  fox  is  of  less 
value  than  the  red,  and  is  also  very  numerous,  particu- 
larly on  the  shores  of  Hudson's  Bay.  The  variety  termed 
the  blue  fox  is  neither  numerous  nor  valuable.  It  is  of 
a  dirty  bluish-gray  color,  and  seldom  makes  its  appear- 
ance at  the  Company's  posts. 

Beaver,  in  days  of  yore,  was  th^  staple  fur  of  the 
country ;  but,  alas !  the  silk  hat  has  given  it  its  death- 
blow, and  the  star  of  the  beaver  has  now  probably  set 
forever — that  is  to  say,  with  regard  to  men ;  probably 
the  animals  themselves  fancy  that  their  lucky  star  has 
just  risen.  The  most  profitable  fur  in  the  country  is  that 
of  the  marten.  It  somewhat  resembles  the  Russian 
sable,  and  generally  maintains  a  steady  price.  These 
animals,  moreover,  are  very  numerous  throughout  most 
part  of  the  Company's  territories,  particularly  in  Macken- 
zie's River,  whence  great  numbers  are  annually  sent  to 
England. 

All  the  above  animals  and  a  few  others  are  caught  in 
steel  and  wooden  traps  by  the  natives  ;  while  deer,  buf- 
faloes, &c.,  are  run  down,  shot,  nnd  snared  in  various 
ways,  the  details  of  which  will  be  found  in  another  part 
of  this  volume. 

Trade  is  carried  on  with  the  natives  by  means  of  a 
standard  valuation,  called  in  some  parts  of  the  country  a 
castor.  This  is  to  obviate  the  necessity  of  circulating 
money,  of  which  there  is  little  or  none,  excepting  in  the 
colony  of  Red  River.  Thus,  an  Indian  arrives  at  a  fort 
with  a  bundle  of  furs,  with  which  he  proceeds  to  the 
Indian  trading-room.  There  the  trader  separates  the 
furs  into  different  lots,  and,  valuing  each  at  the  standard 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


43 


valuation,  adds  the  amount  together,  and  tells  the  Indian, 
(who  has  looked  on  the  while  with  great  interest  and 
anxiety,)  that  he  has  got  fifty  or  sixty  castors  ;  at  the 
same  time  he  hands  the  Indian  fifty  or  sixty  little  bits 
of  wood  in  lieu  of  dash,  so  that  the  latter  may  know,  by 
returning  these  in  payment  of  the  goods  for  which  he 
really  exchanges  his  skins,  how  fast  his  funds  decrease. 
The  Indian  then  looks  round  upon  the  bales  of  cloth, 
powder-horns,  guns,  blankets,  knives,  &c.,  with  which  the 
shop  is  filled,  and  after  a  good  while  makes  up  his  mind 
to  have  a  small  blanket.  This  being  given  him,  the 
trader  tells  him  that  the  price  is  six  castors  ;  the  purchas- 
er hands  back  six  of  his  little  bits  of  wood,  and  selects 
something  else.  In  this  way  he  goes  on  till  all  his 
wooden  cash  is  expended,  and  then  packing  up  his  goods, 
departs  to  show  his  treasures  to  his  wife,  and  another 
Indian  takes  his  place.  The  value  of  a  castor  is  from 
one  to  two  shillings.  The  natives  generally  visit  the 
establishments  of  the  Company  twice  a  year — once  in 
October,  when  they  bring  in  the  produce  of  their  autumn 
hunts ;  and  again  in  March,  when  they  come  in  with  that 
of  the  great  winter  hunt. 

The  number  of  castors  that  an  Indian  makes  in  a 
winter  hunt  varies  from  fifty  to  two  hundred,  according 
to  his  perseverance  and  activity,  and  the  part  of  the 
country  in  which  he  hunts.  The  largest  amount  I  ever 
heard  of  was  made  by  a  man  called  Piaquata-Kiscum, 
who  brought  in  furs  on  one  occasion  to  the  value  of 
two  hundred  and  sixty  castors.  The  poor  fellow  was 
soon  afterwards  poisoned  by  his  relatives,  who  were  jeal- 
ous of  his  superior  abilities  as  a  hunter,  and  envious  of 
the  favor  shown  him  by  the  white  men. 

After  the  furs  are  collected  in  spring  at  all  the  differ- 


! 
i 


t\ 


\   ! 


» 


M 


h'* 


if:!-.;] 


if   f 


1! 


1  i 


I'M 


44 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


ent  outposts,  they  are  packed  in  conveniently  sized  bales, 
and  forwarded  by  means  of  boats  and  canoes,  to  the  three 
chief  depots  on  the  sea-coast — namely,  Fort  Vancouver, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River,  on  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific ;  York  Fort,  on  the  shores  of  Hudson's  Bay ; 
and  Moose  Factory,  on  the  shores  of  James's  Bay, 
whence  they  are  transported  in  the  Company's  ships  to 
England.  The  whole  country  in  summer  is,  consequently, 
in  commotion  with  the  passing  and  repassing  of  brigades 
of  boats  laden  with  bales  of  merchandise  and  furs ;  the 
still  waters  of  the  lakes  and  rivers  are  rippled  by  the 
paddle  and  the  oar ;  and  the  long-silent  echoes  which 
have  slumbered  in  the  icy  embrace  of  a  dreary  Avinter, 
are  now  once  more  awakened  by  the  merry  voice  and 
tuneful  song  of  the  hardy  voyageur. 

This  slight  sketch  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  and 
of  the  territories  occupied  by  them  may,  for  the  present, 
serve  to  give  some  idea  of  the  nature  of  the  service  and 
the  appearance  of  the  country.  We  shall  now  proceed 
to  write  of  the  Indians  inhabiting  these  wild  regions. 


1  i 


I  I 


^\ 


f\ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


45 


CHAPTER  IV. 


n    :  ! 


I  I 


NORTH  AMERICAN  INDIANS— THEIR  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  ETC. 

THE  aborigines  of  North  America  are  divided  into  a 
great  number  of  nations  or  tribes,  differing  not  only 
in  outward  appearance,  but  also  in  customs  and  modes  of 
life,  and  in  some  instances  entertaining  for  each  other  a 
bitter  and  implacable  hatred. 

To  describe  ^^f^  leading  peculiarities  of  some  of  these 
tribes,  particuli .  lose  called  Crees,  will  be  my  object 
in  the  present  vuapier. 

Some  of  the  tribes  are  known  by  the  following  names : 
— Crees,  Seauteaux,  Stone  Indians,  Sioux,  Blackfeet, 
Chipewyans,  Slave  Indians,  Crows,  Flatheads,  &c.  Of 
these,  the  Crees  are  the  quietest  and  most  inoffensive ; 
they  inhabit  the  woody  country  surrounding  Hudson's 
Bay ;  dwell  in  tents ;  never  go  to  war ;  and  spend  their 
time  in  trapping,  shooting,  and  fishing.  The  Seauteaux 
are  similar  to  the  Crees  in  many  respects,  and  inhabit 
the  country  further  in  the  interior.  The  Stone  Indians, 
Sioux,  Blackfeet,  Slave  Indians,  Crows,  and  Flatheads, 
inhabit  the  vast  plains  .tnd  forests  in  the  interior  of 
America,  on  the  east  and  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  live  chiefly  by  the  produce  of  the  chase.  Their 
country  swarms  with  bisons,  and  varieties  of  deer,  bears, 
&c.,  which  they  hunt,  shoot,  snare,  and  kill  in  various 
ways.  Some  of  these  tribes  are  well  supplied  with 
horsel,  with  which  they  hunt  the  buffalo.     This  is  a  wild 


!    I 


46 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


inspiriting  chase,  and  the  natives  are  very  fond  of  it. 
They  use  the  gun  a  good  deal,  but  prefer  the  bow  and 
arrow  (in  the  use  r'' which  they  are  very  expert)  for  the 
chase,  and  reserv  the. gun  for  warfare,  many  of  them 
being  constantly  engaged  in  skirmishing  with  their  ene- 
mies. As  the  Crees  were  the  Indians  with  whom  I  had 
the  most  intercourse,  I  shall  endeavor  to  describe  my  old 
friends  more  at  length. 

The  personal  appearance  of  ihe  men  of  this  tribe  is 
not  bad.  Although  they  have  not  the  bold  daring  car- 
riage of  the  wilder  tribes,  yet  they  have  active-looking 
figures,  intelligent  countenances,  and  a  peculiar  bright- 
ness in  their  dark  eyes,  which,  from  a  constant  habit  of 
looking  around  them  while  travelling  through  the  woods, 
are  seldom  for  a  moment  at  rest.  Their  jet  black  hair 
generally  hangs  in  straight  matted  locks  over  their  shoul- 
ders, sometimes  ornamented  with  beads  and  pieces  of 
metal,  and  occasionally  with  a  few  partridge  feathers ; 
but  they  seldom  wear  a  hat  or  cap  of  any  kind,  except 
in  winter  when  they  make  clumsy  imitations  of  foraging- 
caps  with  furs — preferring,  if  the  weather  be  warm,  to 
go  about  without  any  head-dress  at  all,  or,  if  it  be  cold, 
using  the  large  hood  of  their  capotes  as  a  covering. 
They  are  thin,  wiry  men,  not  generally  very  muscular  in 
their  proportions,  but  yet  capable  of  enduring  great  fa- 
tigue. Their  average  height  is  about  five  feet  five 
inches ;  and  one  rarely  meets  with  individuals  varying 
much  from  this  average,  nor  with  deformed  people,  among 
them.  The  step  of  a  Cree  Indian  is  much  longer  than 
that  of  a  European,  owing,  probably,  to  his  being  so 
much  accustomed  to  walking  through  swamps  and  forests, 
where  it  is  necessary  to  take  long  strides.  This  pecu- 
liarity becomes  appai'ent  when  an  Indian  arrives  at  a 


f^. 


HUDSON'S   BAY. 


47 


fort,  and  walks  along  the  hard  ground  inside  the  walls 
with  the  trader,  whose  short,  bustling,  active  step,  con- 
trasts oddly  with  the  long,  solemn,  ostrich  like  stride  of 
the  savage ;  which,  however  appropriate  in  the  woods, 
is  certainly  strange  and  ungraceful  on  a  good  road. 

The  summer  dress  of  the  Indian  is  almost  entirely 
providerl  for  him  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company ;  it 
consists  chiefly  of  a  blue  or  gray  cloth,  or  else  a  blanket 
capote  .  caching  below  the  knee,  made  much  too  loose  for 
■  the  figure,  and  strapped  round  the  waist  with  a  scarlet  or 
crimson  worsted  belt.  A  very  coarse  blue  striped  cot- 
ton sliirt  is  all  the  under-clothing  they  wear,  holding 
trousers  to  be  quite  superfluous ;  in  lieu  of  which  they 
make  leggins  of  various  kinds  of  cloth,  which  reach  from 
a  few  inches  above  the  knee  down  to  the  ankle.  These 
leggins  are  sometimes  very  tastefully  decorated  with  bead- 
work,  particularly  those  of  the  women,  and  are  provided 
with  flaps  or  wings  on  either  side. 

This  costume,  however,  is  slightly  varied  in  winter. 
The  blanket  or  cloth  capote  is  then  laid  aside  for  one  of 
smoked  red-deer  skin,  which  has  very  much  the  appear- 
ance of  chamois  leather.  This  is  lined  with  flannel,  or 
some  other  thick  warm  substance,  and  edged  with  fur 
(more  for  ornament,  however,  than  warmth)  of  different 
kinds.  Fingerless  mittens,  with  a  place  for  the  thumb, 
are  also  adopted ;  and  shoes  or  moccasins  of  the  same 
soft  material.  The  moccasins  are  very  beautiful,  fitting 
the  feet  as  tightly  as  a  glove,  and  are  tastefully  orna- 
mented with  dyed  porcupine  quills  and  silk  thread  of 
various  colors ;  at  which  work  the  women  are  particu- 
larly au  fait.  As  the  leather  of  the  moccasin  is  very 
thin,*  blanket  and  flannel  socks  are  worn  underneath — 

*  Many  people  at  home  have  asked  me  how  such  tliin  things  can 


I'  m 


:     Im 


I!  it 

1 


48 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


r 


J.I'    ''' 


ill 


one,  two,  or  even  four  pairs,  according  to  the  degree  of 
cold ;  and  in  proportion  as  these  socks  are  increased  in 
number,  the  moccasin,  of  course,  loses  its  elegant  appear- 
ance. 

The  Indian  womei.  •  3  not  so  good-looking  as  the  men. 
They  have  an  awk\.  .'.  slouching  gait,  and  a  downcast 
look — arising,  probably,  from  the  rude  treatment  they 
experience  from  their  husbands ;  for  the  North  Ameri- 
can Indians,  like  all  other  savages,  make  complete 
drudges  of  their  women,  obliging  them  to  do  all  the  la- 
borious and  dirty  work,  while  they  reserve  the  pleasures 
of  the  chase  for  themselves.  Their  features  are  some- 
times good,  but  I  never  saw  a  really  pretty  woman  among 
the  Crees.  Their  color,  as  well  as  that  of  the  men,  is  a 
dingy  brown,  which,  together  with  their  extreme  filthi- 
ness,  renders  them  anytliing  but  attractive.  They  are, 
however,  quiet,  sweet-tempered,  and  inoffensive  creatures, 
destitute  as  well  of  artificial  manners  as  of  stays.  Their 
dress  is  a  gown,  made  without  sleeves,  and  very  scanty 
in  the  skirt,  of  coarse  blue  or  green  cloth ;  it  reaches 
down  to  a  little  under  the  knee,  below  which  tlieir  limbs 
are  cased  in  leggins  beautifully  ornamented.  Their  whole 
costume,  however,  like  that  of  the  men,  is  almost  always 
hid  from  sight  by  a  thick  blanket,  without  which  the  In- 
dian seldom  ventures  abroad.  The  women  usually  make 
the  top  of  the  blanket  answer  the  purpose  of  a  head- 
dress ;  but  when  they  wish  to  appear  very  much  to  ad- 
vantage, they  put  on  a  cap  made  of  a  square  piece  of 
blue   cloth,  profusely  decorated  with   different  colored 

keep  out  the  wet  of  the  snow.  The  reader  must  bear  in  mind  that 
the  snow  for  nearly  seven  months,  is  not  even  damp  for  five  minutes, 
so  constant  is  the  frost.  When  it  becomes  wet  in  spring,  Europeans 
adopt  ordinary  English  shoes,  and  Indians  do  not  mind  the  wet. 


\\ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


^ 


beads,  and  merely  sewed  up  at  the  top.  They  wear  their 
hair  in  long  straggling  locks,  which  have  not  the  slightest 
tendency  to  curl,  and  occasionally  in  cues  or  pigtails 
behind ;  but  in  this  respect,  as  in  every  other,  they  are 
very  careless  of  their  personal  appearance. 

These  primitive  children  of  the  forest  live  in  tents  of 
deer-skin  or  bark  ;  and  sometimes,  where  skins  are 
scarce,  of  branches  of  trees.  They  are  conically  shaped, 
and  ar^  constructed  thus  :  The  Indian  and  his  family 
(probably  two  wives  and  three  or  four  children)  arrive 
in  their  bark  canoe  at  a  pretty  level  spot,  sheltered  from 
the  north  wind,  and  conveniently  situated  on  the  banks- 
of  a  small  stream,  where  the  fish  are  plentiful,  and  pine- 
branches  (or  brush),  for  the  floor  of  the  tent,  abundant^ 
Here  he  runs  his  canoe  ashore,  and  carries  his  goods  and' 
chattels  up  the  bank.  Ilis  first  business  is  to  cut  a  num- 
ber of  long  poles,  and  tie  three  of  them  at  the  top, 
spreading  them  out  in  the  form  of  a  tripod.  He  then 
piles  all  the  other  poles  round  these,  at  half-a-foot  dis- 
tance from  each  other,  and  thus  incloses  a  circle  of  be- 
tween fifteen  and  twenty  feet  in  diameter.  Over  the 
poles  (if  he  is  a  good  hunter,  and  has  plenty  of  deer- 
skins) he  spreads  the  skin  tent,  leaving  an  opening  at 
the  top  for  the  egress  of  the  smoke.  If  the  teht  be  a 
birch-bark  one,  he  has  it  in  separate  rolls,  which  are 
spread  over  the  poles,  till  the  whole  is  covered.  A 
small  opening  is  left  facing  the  river  or  lake,  which 
serves  for  a  doorway ;  and  this  is  covered  with  an  old 
blanket,  a  piece  of  deer-skin,  or,  in  some  instances,  by 
a  bison-skin  or  buffalo  robe.  The  floor  is  covered  with 
a  layer  of  small  pine  branches,  which  serve  for  carpet 
and  mattress  ;  and  in  the  centre  is  placed  the  wood  fire, 
which,  when  blazing  brightly,  gives  a  warmth  and  com- 


it 


'  I 


I  •. 


J  t. 


-  ^  ^1 


\  i 


^t    :\ 


i\ 


\ 


i  I 


50 


HUDSON'S  BAY/ 


fort  to  the  slight  habitation  that  could  scarcely  be  be- 
lieved. Here  the  Indian  spends  a  few  days  or  weeks, 
according  to  the  amount  of  game  in  the  vicinity ;  and 
then  removes  to  some  other  place,  carrying  with  him 
the  covering  of  the  tent,  but  leaving  the  poles  standing, 
as  they  would  be  cumbrous  to  carry  in  his  small  canoe, 
and  thousands  can  be  had  at  every  place  where  he  may 
wish  to  land. 

The  Indian  canoe  is  an  exceedingly  light  and  graceful 
little  craft,  and  well  adapted  for  travelling  m  through  a 
wild  country,  where  the  rivers  are  obstructed  by  long 
japids,  waterfalls,  and  shallows.  It  is  so  light  that  one 
man  can  easily  carry  it  on  his  shoulders  over  the  land, 
when  a  waterfall  obstructs  his  progress ;  and  as  it  only 
:sinks  about  four  or  six  inches  in  the  water,  few  places 
are  too  shallow  to  float  it.  The  birch  bark  of  which  it 
is  made  is  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  and  the  in- 
side is  lined  with  extremely  thin  flakes  of  wood,  over 
which  a  number  of  light  timbers  are  driven,  to  give 
strength  and  tightness  to  the  machine.  In  this  frail 
bark,  which  measures  from  twelve,  fifteen,  thirty,  to  forty 
feet  long,  and  from  two  to  four  feet  broad  in  the  middle, 
a  whole  Indian  family  of  eight  or  ten  souls  will  travel 
-hundreds  of  miles  over  rivers  and  lakes  innumerable; 
now  floating  swiftly  down  a  foaming  rapid,  and  anon 
gliding  over  the  surface  of  a  quiet  lake,  or  making  a 
jportage  over-land  when  a  rapid  is  too  dangerous  to  de- 
scend ;  and,  while  the  elders  of  the  family  assist  in 
carrying  the  canoe,  the  youngsters  run  about  plucking 
berries,  and  the  shaggy  little  curs  (one  or  two  of  which 
are  possessed  by  every  Indian  family)  search  for  food, 
or  bask  in  the  sun  at  the  foot  of  the  baby's  cradle,  which 
.stands  bolt  upright  against  a  tree,  while  the  child  gazes 
upon  all  these  operations  with  serene  indifference. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


51 


Not  less  elegant  and  useful  than  the  canoe,  is  the 
snow-shoe,  without  which  the  Indian  would  be  badly  off 
indeed.  It  is  not,  as  many  suppose,  used  as  a  kind  of 
skate,  with  which  to  slide  over  the  snow,  but  as  a  ma- 
chine to  prevent,  by  its  size  and  breadth,  the  wearer 
from  sinking  into  the  snow  which  is  so  deep  that,  with- 
out the  assistance  of  the  snow-shoe,  no  one  could  walk  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  through  the  woods  in  winter,  without 
being  utterly  exhausted. 

It  is  formed  of  two  thin  pieces  of  light  wood,  tied  at 
both  ends,  and  spread  out  near  the  middle ;  thus  making 
a  kind  of  long  oval,  the  interior  of  which  is  filled  up  with 
network  of  deer-skin  threads.  Strength  is  given  to  the 
frame  by  placing  wooden  bars  across ;  and  it  is  fastened 
loosely  to  the  foot  by  a  slight  line  going  over  the  toe.  In 
case,  however,  it  may  be  supposed  that  by  a  shoe  I  mean 
an  article  something  the  size  of  a  man's  foot,  it  may  be 
as  well  to  state,  that  snow-shoes  measure  iromfour  to  six 
feet  long,  and  from  thirteen  to  twenty  inches  wide.  Not- 
withstanding their  great  size,  the  extreme  lightness  of 
their  materials  prevents  them  being  cumbrous ;  and,  after 
a  little  practice,  a  traveller  forgets  that  he  has  them  on, 
if  the  weather  be  good  for  such  walking.  Frosty  weath- 
er is  the  best  for  snow-shoe  travelling,  as  the  snow  is  fine 
and  dust-like,  and  falls  through  the  network.  If  the 
weather  be  warm,  the  wet  snow  renders  the  shoe  heavy, 
and  the  lines  soon  begin  to  gall  the  feet.  On  these  shoes 
an  Indian  will  travel  between  twenty  and  thirty  miles  a 
day,  and  they  often  accomplish  from  thirty  to  forty  when 
hard  pressed.  ^  ^ 

The  food  of  the  Indian  varies  according  to  circum- 
stances. Sometimes  he  luxuriates  on  deer,  partridges, 
and  fat  beaver ;  whilst  at  others  he  is  obliged  to  live 


r 

t 


■(-;    , 


I 


\     \\ 


> 


■i 


fij 


i  i 


5S 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


almost  entirely  on  fi^li,  nntl  not  unfrequently  on  tripe-de 
roche.  This  substance,  however,  does  no  more  th  in  re- 
tard his  ultimate  destruction  by  starvation;  and  unless 
he  meets  with  something  more  nourishing,  it  cannot  pre- 
vent it.  When  starving,  the  Indian  will  not  hesitate  lo 
appease  the  cravings  of  hunger  by  resorting  to  canni- 
balism ;  and  there  were  some  old  dames  with  whom  I 
was  myself  acquainted,  who  had  •  at  different  periods 
eaten  several  of  their  children.  Indeed,  some  of  them, 
it  was  said,  had  also  eaten  their  husbands  ! 

The  following  anecdote,  related  to  mo,  by  my  friend 
Carles,  who  spent  many  years  of  his  life  among  the 
North  American  Indians,  depicts  one  of  the  worst  of 
these  cases  of  cannibalism. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  18 —  that  Mr.  Carles  stood  in 
the  Indian  Hall  of  one  of  the  far-distant  posts  in  Atha- 
basca, conversing  with  a  party  of  Chipewyan  Indians, 
who  Jmd  just  arrived  with  furs  from  their  winter  hunting- 
grounds.  The  large  fires  of  wood,  sparkling  and  blazing 
cheerfully  up  the  wide  chimney,  cast  a  bright  light  round 
the  room,  and  shone  upon  the  dusky  countenances  of  the 
Chipewyans,  as  they  sat  gravely  on  the  floor,  smoking 
their  spwagans  in  silence.  A  dark  shade  lowered  upon 
every  face,  as  if  thoughts  of  an  unpleasant  nature  dis- 
turbed their  minds  ;  and  so  it  was.  A  deed  of  the  most 
revolting  description  had  been  perpetrated  by  an  Indian 
of  the  Cree  tribe,  and  they  were  about  to  relate  the  story 
to  Mr.  Carles. 

After  a  short  silence,  an  old  Indian  removed  his  pipe, 
and  looking  round  upon  the  others,  as  if  to  ask  their  con- 
sent to  his  becoming  spokesman,  related  the  particulars 
of  the  story,  the  substance  of  which  I  now  give. 

Towards  the  middle  of  winter,  Wisagun,  a  Cree  Indian 


\'s 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


M 


removed  his  encampment  to  another  part  of  the  country, 
as  game  was  scarce  in  the  place  where  he  had  been  resid- 
ing. His  family  consisted  of  a  wife,  a  son  of  eight  or  nine 
year.s  of  age,  and  two  or  three  children,  besides  several 
of  his  relations  ;  in  all,  ten  souls,  including  himself. 
In  a  few  days  they  arrived  at  their  new  encamping 
ground,  after  having  suffered  a  great  deal  of  misery 
by  the  way,  from  starvation.  They  were  all  much  ex- 
hausted and  worn  out,  but  hoped,  having  heard  of  buf- 
faloes in  the  vicinity,  that  their  sufferings  would  soon  be 
relieved. 

Here  they  remained  several  days  without  finding  any 
game,  and  were  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  devouring 
their  moccasins  and  leathern  coats,  rendered  eatable  by 
being  singed  over  the  fire.  Soon  this  wretched  resource 
was  also  gone,  and  they  were  reduced  to  the  greatest 
extremity,  when  a  herd  of  buffaloes  was  descried  far 
away  in  the  prairie  on  the  edge  of  which  they  were 
encamped.  All  were  instantly  on  the  qui  vive.  Guns 
were  loaded,  snow-shoes  put  on,  and  in  ten  minutes  the 
males  of  the  hungry  party  set  off  after  the  herd,  leaving 
Wisagun's  wife  and  children  with  another  girl  in  the  tent. 
It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  famished  party  began 
to  grow  tired.  Some  of  the  weakest  dropped  behind ; 
while  Wisagun,  with  his  son  Natappe,  gave  up  the  chase, 
and  returned  to  the  encampment.  They  soon  arrived  at 
it,  and  Wisagun,  peeping  in  between  the  chinks  of  the 
tent  to  see  what  the  women  were  doing,  saw  his  wife 
engaged  in  cutting  up  one  of  her  own  children,  prepara- 
tory to  cooking  it.  In  a  transport  of  passion,  the  Indian 
rushed  forward  and  stabbed  her,  and  also  the  other 
woman ;  and  then,  fearing  the  wrath  of  the  other  Indians, 
he  fled  to  the  woods.     It  may  be  conceived  what  were 


;i 


'i! 


M^ 


;    ■111 


ii 


'n  ■    fill 

'Ml 


1 1 


64 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


the  feelings  of  the  remainder  of  the  party  when  they 
returned  and  found  their  relatives  murdered.  They  were 
so  much  exhausted,  however,  by  previous  suffering,  that 
thoy  could  only  sit  down  and  gaze  on  the  mutilated  bod- 
ies in  dc-pair.  During  the  night  Wisagun  and  Natappe 
returned  stealthily  to  the  tent,  and,  under  cover  of  the 
darkness,  murdered  the  whole  party  as  they  lay  asleep. 
Soon  after  this,  the  two  Indians  were  met  by  another 
party  of  savages,  in  good  condition^  although,  from  the 
scarcity  of  game,  the  others  were  starving.  The  former 
accounted  for  this,  however,  by  saying  that  they  had 
fallen  in  with  a  deer  not  long  ago ;  but  that,  before  this 
had  happened,  all  the  rest  of  the  family  had  died  of  star- 
vation. 

It  was  the  party  who  had  met  the  two  Indians  wandti- 
ing  in  the  plains  that  now  sat  round  the  fire  relating  the 
story  to  Mr.  Carles. 

The  tale  was  still  telling  when  the  hall  door  slowly 
opened,  and  Wisagun,  gaunt  and  cadaverous,  the  very 
impersonation  of  famine,  slunk  into  the  room,  along  with 
Natappe,  and  seated  liimself  in  a  corner  near  the  fire. 
Mr.  Carles  soon  obtained  from  his  own  lips  confirmation 
of  the  horrible  deed,  which  he  excused  by  saying  that 
most  of  his  relations  had  died  beibre  he  ate  them. 

In  a  few  days  after  this,  the  party  of  Indians  took  their 
departure  from  the  house,  to  proceed  to  their  village  in 
the  forest ;  and  shortly  after  Wisagun  and  Natappe  also 
left,  to  rejoin  their  tribe.  The  news  of  their  deeds,  how- 
ever, had  preceded  them,  so  they  were  received  very 
coldly ;  and  soon  after  Wisagun  pitched  his  tent,  the 
other  Indians  removed,  with  one  accord,  to  another  place, 
as  though  it  were  impossible  to  live  happily  under  the 
shadow  of  the  same  trees.    This  exasperated  Wisagun  so 


\\ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


55 


much  that  he  packed  up  his  tent  and  goods,  launched  his 
canoe,  and  then,  before  starting,  went  up  to  the  village, 
and  told  them  it  was  true  he  had  killed  all  his  relatives  ; 
and  that  he  was  a  conjurer,  and  had  both  power  and  in- 
clination to  conjure  them  to  death  too.  He  then  strode 
down  to  the  banks  of  the  river,  and,  embarkitig  with  his 
son,  shot  out  into  the  stream.  The  unhappy  man  had 
acted  rashly  in  his  wrath.  There  is  nothing  more  dan- 
gerous than  to  threaten  to  kill  a  savage,  as  he  will  cer- 
tainly endeavor  to  kill  the  person  who  threatens  him,  in 
order  to  render  the  execution  of  his  purpose  impossible. 
Wisagun  and  his  son  had  no  sooner  departed,  than  two 
men  coolly  took  up  their  guns,  entered  a  canoe,  and  fol- 
lowed them.  Upon  arriving  at  a  secluded  spot,  one  of 
them  raised  his  gun  and  fired  at  Wisagun,  who  fell  over 
the  side  of  the  canoe,  and  sank  to  rise  no  more.  With 
the  rapidity  of  thought,  Natappe  seized  his  father's  gun, 
sprang  asliQj-e,  and  bounded  up  the  bank ;  a  shot  was 
fired  which  went  through  the  fleshy  part  of  his  arm,  and 
the  next  moment  he  was  behind  a  tree.  Here  he  called 
out  to  the  Indians,  who  were  reloading  their  guns,  not  to 
kill  him,  and  he  would  tell  them  all.  After  a  little  con- 
sideration, they  agreed  to  spare  him  ;  he  embarked  "vith 
them,  and  was  taken  afterwards  to  the  fort,  wheri.  uc 
remained  many  years  in  the  Company's  service. 

Although  instances  of  cannibalism  are  not  unusual 
among  the  Indian  tribes,  they  do  not  resort  to  it  fron* 
choice,  but  only  when  urged  by  the  irrepressible  cravings- 
of  hunger. 

All  the  Indian  tribes  are  fond  of  spirits  ;  and  in  for- 
mer times,  when  the  distribution  of  rum  to  the  natives 
was  found  necessary  to  compete  with  other  companies,  the 
use  of  the  "fire  water"  was  carried  to  a  fearful  extent. 


';  i 


jl  !|l4i 


■i  i 


\    : 


56 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


ll' 


Since  Sir  George  Simpson  has  been  governor,  however, 
the  distribution  of  spirits  has  been  almost  entirely  given 
up ;  and  this  has  proved  a  most  beneficial  measure  for  the 
poor  Indians. 

Tobacco  also  is  consumed  by  them  in  great  quantities  ; 
indeed,  the  pipe  is  seldom  out  of  the  Indian's  mouth.  If 
he  is  not  hunting,  sleeping,  or  eating,  he  is  sure  to  be 
smoking.  A  peculiar  kind  of  shrub  is  much  used  by  them, 
mixed  with  tobacco,  partly  for  the  purpose  of  making  it 
go  far,  and  partly  because  they  can  smoke  more  of  it  at 
a  time  with  impunity. 

The  Indian  is  generally  very  lazy,  but  can  endure, 
when  requisite,  great  fatigue  and  much  privation.  He 
can  go  longer  without  eating  than  a  European,  and,  from 
the  frequent  fasts  he  has  to  sustain,  he  becomes  accus- 
tomed, without  injury,  to  eat  more  at  a  meal  than  would 
kill  a  white  man.  The  Indian  children  exhibit  this 
power  in  a  very  extraordinary  degree,  looking  sometimes 
wretchedly  thin  and  miserable,  and  an  hour  or  two  after- 
wards waddling  about  with  their  little  stomachs  swollen 
almost  to  bursting ! 

When  an  Indian  wants  a  wife,  he  goes  to  the  fair  one*s 
father,  and  asks  his  consent.  This  being  obtained',  h'e 
informs  the  young  lady  of  the  circumstance,  and  then 
returns  to  his  wigwau;,  whither  the  bride  follows  him, 
and  installs  herself  as  mistress  of  the  house  without  fur- 
ther ceremony.  Generally  speaking,  Indians  content 
themselves  with  one  wife,  but  it  is  looked  upon  as  neither 
unusual  nor  improper  to  take  two,  or  even  three  wives. 
The  great  point  to  settle  is  the  husband's  ability  to  sup- 
port them.  Thus,  a  bad  hunter  can  only  afford  one  wife, 
■whilst  a  good  one  may  have  three  or  four. 

If  an  old  man  or  woman  of  the  tribe  becomes  infirm. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


67 


and  unable  to  proceed  with  the  rest  when  travelling,  he 
or  she,  as  the  case  may  be,  is  left  behind  in  a  small  tent 
made  of  willows,  in  which  are  placed  a  little  firewood, 
some  provisions,  and  a  vessel  of  water.  Here  the  un- 
happy wretch  remains  in  solitude  till  the  fuel  and  pro- 
visions are  exhausted,  and  then  dies.  Should  the  tribe 
be  in  their  encampment  when  an  Indian  dies,  the  de- 
ceased is  buried,  sometimes  in  the  ground,  and  sometimes 
in  a  rough  wooden  coffin  raised  a  few  feet  above  it.  They 
do  not  now  bury  guns,  knives,  &c.,  with  their  dead,  as 
they  once  did,  probably  owing  to  their  intercourse  with 
white  men. 

The  Supreme  Being,  among  the  Indians,  is  called 
Manitow ;  but  he  can  scarcely  be  said  to  be  worshipped 
by  them,  and  the  few  ideas  they  have  of  his  attributes 
are  imperfect  and  erroneous.  Indeed,  no  religious  rites 
exist  among  them,  unless  the  unmeaning  mummery  of 
the  medicine,  tent  can  be  looked  upon  as  such.  Of  late 
years,  however,  missionaries,  both  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land and  the  Wesleyans,  have  exerted  themselves  to 
spread  the  Christian  religion  among  these  tribes,  than 
whom  few  savages  can  be  more  unenlightened  or  morally 
degraded  ;  and  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  light  of 
the  gospel  is  now  beginning  to  shine  upon  them  with 
beneficial  influence. 

There  is  no  music  in  the  soul  of  a  Cree,  and  the  only 
time  they  attempt  it  is  when  gambling,  of  ^vhich  they 
are  passionately  fond,  when  they  sing  a  kind  of  monoto- 
nous chant  accompanied  with  a  noisy  rattling  on  a  tin 
kettle.  The  celebrated  war-dance  is  now  no  longer  in 
existence  among  this  tribe.  They  have  wisely  renounced 
both  war  and  its  horrors  long  ago.  Among  the  wilder 
inhabitants  of  the  prairies,  however,  it  is  still  in  vogue. 


l!;i 


N 


!     '  I 


1  r ' 


(    Fl. 


i-i 


i 

If . 


r 


II 


I  "MS, 
! 


58 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


with  all  the  dismal  accompaniments  of  killing,  scalping, 
roasting,  and  torturing,  that  distinguished  American  war- 
fare a  hundred  years  ago. 

The  diflferent  methods  by  which  the  Indian  succeeds  in 
snaring  and  trapping  Aimals  are  numerous.  A  good 
idea  of  these  may  be  had  by  following  an  Indian  in  his 
rounds. 

Suppose  yourself,  gentle  reader,  standing  at  the  gate 
of  one  of  the  forts  in  Hudson's  Bay,  watching  a  savage 
arranging  his  snow-shoes,  preparatory  to  entering  the 
gloomy  forest.  Let  us  walk  with  this  Indian  on  a  visit 
to  his  traps.  ' 

The  night  is  very  dark,  as  the  moon  is  hid  by  thick 
clouds,  yet  it  occasionally  breaks  out  sufficiently  to  illu- 
mine our  path  to  Stemaw's  wigwam,  and  to  throw  the 
shadows  of  the  neighboring  trees  upon  the  pale  snow, 
which  crunches  under  our  feet  as  we  advance,  owing  to 
the  intense  cold.  No  wind  breaks  the  stillness  of  the 
night,  or  -shakes  the  lumps  of  snow  off  the  branches  of 
the  neighboring  pines  or  willows ;  and  nothing  is  heard 
save  the  occasional  crackling  of  the  trees  as  the  severe 
frost  acts  upon  their  branches.  The  tent,  at  which  we 
soon  arrive,  is  pitched  at  the  foot  of  an  immense  tree, 
which  stands  in  a  little  hollow  where  the  willows  and 
pines  are  luxuriant  enough  to  afford  a  shelter  from  the 
north  wind.  Just  in  front,  a  small  path  leads  to  the  river, 
of  which  an  extensive  view  is  had  through  the  opening, 
showing  the  long  fantastic  shadows  of  huge  blocks  and 
mounds  of  ice  cast  upon  the  white  snow  by  the  flickering 
moonlight.  A  huge  chasm,  filled  with  fallen  trees  and 
mounds  of  snow,  yawns  on  the  left  of  the  tent,  and  the 
ruddy  sparks  of  fire  which  issue  from  a  hole  in  its  top, 
throw  this  and  the  surrounding  forest  into  deeper  gloom. 


I  \ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


59 


The  effect  of  this  wintry  scene  upon  the  mind  is  melan- 
choly in  the  extreme — causing  it  to  speed  across  the 
bleak  and  frozen  plains,  and  visit  again  the  warm  fireside 
and  happy  faces  in  a  far  distant  home ;  and  yet  there  is 
a  strange  romantic  attraction  in  the  wild  woods  that  grad- 
ually brings  it  back  again,  and  makes  us  impatient  to 
begin  our  walk  with  the  Indian.  Suddenly  the  deer-skin 
robe  that  covers  the  aperture  of  the  wigwam  is  raised, 
and  a  bright  stream  of  Avarm  light  gushes  out,  tipping 
the  dark  green  points  of  the  opposite  trees,  and  mingling 
strangely  with  the  paler  light  of  the  moon — and  Stemaw 
stands  erect  in  front  of  his  solitary  home,  to  gaze  a  few 
moments  on  the  sky,  and  judge  of  the  weather,  as  he  in- 
tends to  take  a  long  walk  before  laying  his  head  upon 
his  capote  for  the  night.  He  is  in  the  usual  costume  of 
the  Cree  Indians :  a  large  leathern  coat,  very  much  over- 
lapped in  front,  and  fastened  round  his  waist  with  a  scar- 
let belt,  protects  his  body  from  the  cold.  A  small  rat- 
skin  cap  covers  his  head,  and  his  legs  are  c^sed  in  the 
ordinary  blue-cloth  leggins.  Large  moccasins,  with  two 
or  three  pair  of  blanket  socks,  clothe  his  feet,  and  finger- 
less  mittens,  made  of  deer-skin,  complete  his  costume. 
After  a  few  minutes  passed  in  contemplation  of  the 
heavens,  the  Indian  prepares  himself  for  the  walk.  First 
he  sticks  a  small  axe  in  his  belt,  serving  as  a  counterpoise 
to  a  large  hunting-knife  and  fire-bag  which  depend  from 
the  other  side.  He  then  slips  his  feet  through  the  lines 
of  his  snow-shoes,  and  throws  the  line  of  a  small  hand- 
sledge  over  his  shoulder.  The  hand-sledge  is  a  thin  flat 
slip  or  plank  of  wood,  from  five  to  six  feet  long  by  one 
foot  broad,  and  is  turned  up  at  one  end.  It  is  extremely 
light,  and  Indians  invariably  use  it  when  visiting  their 
traps,  for  the  purpose  of  dragging  home  the  animals  or 


V 


Hi  ■  I  \ 


ji  ! 


60 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


I'-'f 


mm 


game  they  may  have  caught.  Having  attached  this 
sledge  to  his  back,  he  stoops  to  receive  his  gun  from  his 
faithful  squaio,*  who  has  been  watching  his  operations 
through  a  hole  in  the  tent;  and  throwing  it  on  his 
shoulder,  strides  off,  without  uitering  a  word,  across  the 
moonlit  space  in  front  of  thtr  ter  t,  turns  into  a  narrow 
track  that  leads  down  the  daik  ravine,  and  disappears  in 
the  shades  of  the  forest.  Soon  he  reaches  the  termina- 
tion of  the  track,  (made  for  the  purpose  of  reaching 
some  good  dry  trees  for  firewood,)  and  stepping  into  the 
deep  snow  with  the  long,  regular,  firm  tread  of  one  ac- 
customed to  snow-shoe  walking,  he  winds  his  way  rap- 
idly through  the  thick  stems  of  the  surrounding  trees, 
and  turns  aside  the  smaller  branches  of  the  bushes. 

The  forest  is  now  almost  dark,  the  foliage  overhead 
having  become  so  dense  that  the  moon  only  penetrates 
through  it  in  a  few  places,  causing  the  spots  on  which  it 
falls  to  shine  with  a  strange  phosphoric  light,  and  render- 
ing the  surrounding  masses  darker  by  contrast.  The 
faint  outline  of  an  old  snow-shoe  track,  at  first  discerni- 
ble, is  now  quite  invisible  ;  but  still  Stemaw  moves  for- 
ward with  rapid,  noiseless  step,  as  sure  of  his  way  as  if 
a  broad  beaten  track  lay  before  him.  In  this  manner  he 
moves  on  for  nearly  two  miles,  riometimes  stooping  to 
examine  closely  the  newly  made  track  of  some  wild  ani- 
mal, and  occasionally  giving  a  glance  at  the  sky  through 
the  openings  in  the  leafy  canopy  above  him,  when  a  faint 
sound  in  the  bushes  ahead  brings  him  to  a  full  stop.  He 
listens  attentively,  and  a  noise,  like  the  rattling  of  a 
chain,  is  heard  proceeding  from  the  recesses  of  a  dark 
wild-looking  hollow  a  few  paces  in  front.     Another  mo-* 


*  Squeiaw  is  the  Indian  for  a  woman.    Squaw  is  the  English  corrup- 
tion of  the  word,  and  is  used  to  signify  a  wife. 


F 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


61 


merit,  and  the  rattle  is  again  distinctly  heard ;  a  slight 
sm  le  of  satisfaction  crosses  Stemaw's  dark  visage,  for 
one  of  his  traps  is  set  in  that  place,  and  he  knows  that 
something  is  caught.  Quickly  descending  the  slope,  he 
enters  the  bushes  whence  the  sound  proceeds,  and  pauses 
when  within  a  yard  or  two  of  his  trap,  to  peer  through 
the  gloom.  A  cloud  passes  off  the  moon,  and  a  faint  ray 
reveals,  it  may  be,  a  beautiful  black  fox  caught  in  the 
snare.  A  slight  blow  on  the  snout  from  Stemaw's  axe- 
handle  kills  the  unfortunate  animal ;  in  ten  minutes  more 
it  is  tied  to  his  sledge,  the  trap  is  reset  and  again  covered 
over  with  snow,  so  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  tell 
that  anything  is  there ;  and  the  Indian  pursues  his 
way.  -    " 

The  steel-trap  used  by  the  Indians  is  almost  similar  to 
the  ordinary  rat-trap  of  England,  with  this  difference, 
that  it  is  a  little  larger,  is  destitute  of  teeth,  and  has  two 
springs  in  place  of  one.  A  chain  is  attached  to  one 
spring  for  the  purpose  of  fixing  a  weight  to  the  trap,  so 
that  the  animal  caught  may  not  be  able  to  drag  it  far 
from  the  place  where  it  was  set.  The  track  in  the  snow 
enables  the  hunter  to  find  his  trap  again.  It  is  generally 
set  so  that  the  jaws,  when  spread  out  flat,  are  exactly  on 
a  level  with  the  snow.  The  chain  and  weight  are  both 
hid,  and  a  thin  layer  of  snow  spread  on  top  of  the  trap. 
The  bait  (which  generally  consists  of  chips  of  a  frozen 
partridge,  rabbit,  or  fish)  is  then  scattered  around  in 
every  direction  ;  and,  with  the  exception  of  this,  nothing 
distinguishes  the  spot.  Foxes,  beavers,  wolves,  lynx, 
and  other  animals,  are  caught  in  this  way,  sometimes  by 
a  fore-leg,  sometimes  by  a  hind-leg,  and  sometimes  by 
two  legs  at  once,  and  occasionally  by  the  nose.  Of  all 
these  ways  the  Indians  prefer  catching  by  two  legs,  as 


ll     1  ■ 

:  i  :ti-1 


.1  :|  I : 

n 


r\ 


i 


>■■  I 


'1: 


62 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


there  is  then  not  the  slightest  possibility  of  the  animal 
escaping.  When  foxes  are  caught  by  one  leg,  they  often 
eat  it  off  close  to  the  trap,  and  escape  on  the  other  three. 
I  have  frequently  seen  this  happen;  and  I  once  saw  a 
fox  caught  which  had  e^Identlj  escaped  in  this  way,  as 
one  of  its  legs  was  gone,  and  the  stump  healed  up  and 
covered  again  with  hair.  When  they  are  caught  by  the 
nose  they  are  almost  sure  to  escape,  unless  t;iken  out  of 
the  trap  very  soon  after  being  caught,  as  their  snouts  are 
so  sharp  or  wedge-like  that  they  can  pull  theni  from  be- 
tween the  jaws  of  the  trap  without  much  difl&culty. 

Having  now  dcfcribed  the  way  of  using  this  machine, 
we  will  rejoin  Stevrituv,  ^y^iom  we  left  on  his  way  to  the 
next  trap.  There  he  go<^s,  moving  swiftly  over  the.  snow 
mil(3  after  mile,  as  if  he  could  not  feel  fatigue,  turning 
aside  now  and  then  to  visit  a  trap,  and  giving  a  short 
grunt  when  nothing  is  in  it,  or  killing  the  animal  when 
caught,  and  lying  it  on  the  sledge.  Towards  midnight, 
however,  he  begins  to  walk  more  cautiously,  examines 
the  priming  of  his  gun,  and  moves  the  axe  in  his  belt,  as 
if  ho  expected  to  meet  some  enemy  suddenly.  The  fact 
is,  that  close  to  where  he  now  stands  ar.e  two  traps  which 
he  set  in  the  morning  close  to  each  other  for  the  purpose 
of  catching  oiie  of  the  formidable  coast  wolves.  These 
animals  are  so  sagacious  that  they  will  scrape  all  round  a 
trap,  let  it  be  ever  so  well  set,  and  after  eating  all  the 
bait,  walk  away  unhurt.  Indians  consequently  endeavor 
in  every  possible  way  to  catch  them,  and,  among  others, 
by  setting  two  traps  close  together ;  so  that,  while  the 
wolf  scrapes  at  one,  he  may  perhaps  put  his  foot  in  the 
other.  .Tt  is  in  this  way  that  Stemaw's  traps  are  set,  and 
he  now  proceeds  cautiously  towards  them,  his  gun  in  the 
hollow  of  his  left  arm.      Slowly  he  advances,  peering 


^ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


68 


through  the  bushes,  but  nothing  is  visible ;  suddenly  a 
branch  crashes  under  his  snow-shoe,  and  with  a  savage 
growl  a  large  wolf  bounds  towards  him,  landing  almost  at 
}m  feet.  A  single  glance,  however,  shows  the  Indian 
tut  both  traps  are  on  his  legs,  and  that  the  chains  pre- 
veut  his  further  advance.  He  places  his  gun  against  a 
tree,  draws  his  axe  from  the  belt,  and  advances  to  kill  the 
animal.  It  is  an  undertaking,  however,  of  some  difficulty. 
Tii  3  fierce  brute,  which  is  larger  than  a  Newfoundland 
dog,  strains  every  nerve  and  sinew  to  break  its  chains  ; 
while  its  eyes  glisten  in  the  uncertain  light,  and  foam 
curls  from  its  blood-red  mouth.  Now  it  retreats  as  the 
Indian  advances,  grinning  horribly  as  it  goes ;  and  anon, 
as  the  chains  check  its  further  retreat,  it  springs  with 
fearful  growl  towards  Stemaw,  who  slightly  wounds  it 
with  his  axe,  as  he  jumps  backward  just  in  time  to  save 
himself  from  the  infuriated  animal,  which  catches  in  its 
fangs  the  flap  of  his  leggin,  and  tears  it  from  his  limb. 
Again  Stemaw  advances,  and  the  wolf  retreats  and  again 
springs  on  him,  but  without  success.  At  last,  as  the 
wolf  glances  for  a  moment  to  one  side — apparently  to 
see  if  there  is  no  way  of  escape — quick  as  lightning  the 
axe  flashes  in  the  air,  and  descends  with  stunning  vio- 
lence on  its  head;  another  blow  follows,  and  in  five 
minutes  more  the  animal  is  fastened  to  the  sledge. 

This,  however,  has  turned  out  a  more  exhausting  busi- 
ness than  Stemaw  expected ;  so  he  determines  to  encamp 
and  rest  for  a  few  hours.  Selecting  a  large  pine,  whose 
spreading  branches  cover  a  patch  of  ground  free  from 
underwood,  he  scrapes  away  the  snow  with  his  snow- 
shoe.  Silently  but  busily  he  labors  for  a  quarter  of  an 
hour ;  and  then,  having  cleared  a  space  seven  or  eight 
feet  in  diameter,  and  nearly  four  feet  deep,  he  cuts  down 


i ! 


i 


■I. 


I 


64 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


i'- 

f: 

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1  ■>■; 

i 

'1       H 

fy 

;^ 

a  number  of  small  branches,  wliieh  he  strews  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  hollow,  till  all  the  snow  is  covered.  This 
done,  he  fells  two  or  three  of  the  nearest  trees,  cuts  them 
up  into  lengths  of  about  five  feet  long,  and  piles  them  at 
the  root  of  the  tree.  A  light  is  soon  applied  to  the  pile, 
and  up  glances  the  ruddy  flame,  crackling  among  the 
branches  overhead,  and  sending  thousands  of  bright 
sparks  into  the  air.  No  one  who  has  not  seen  it  can 
have  the  least  idea  of  the  cliange  that  takes  place  in  the 
appearance  of  the  woods  at  night,  when  a  large  fire  is 
suddenly  lighted.  Before,  all  was  cold,  silent,  chilling, 
gloomy,  and  desolate,  and  the  pale  snow  looked  unea'rthly 
in  the  dark.  Now,  a  bright  ruddy  glow  falls  upon  the 
thick  stems  of  the  trees,  and  penetrates  through  the 
branches  overhead,  tipping  those  nearest  the  fire  with  a 
ruby  tinge,  the  mere  sight  of  which  warms  one.  The 
white  snow  changes  to  a  beautiful  pink,  whilst  the  stems 
of  the  trees,  bright  and  clearly  visible  near  at  hand,  be- 
come more  and  more  indistinct  in  the  distance,  till  they 
are  lost  in  the  black  background.  The  darkness,  how- 
ever, need  not  be  seen  from  the  encampment,  for,  when 
the  Indian  lies  down,  he  will  be  sun'ounded  by  the  snow 
walls,  which  sparkle  in  the  firelight  as  if  set  with  dia- 
monds. These  do  not  melt,  as  might  be  expected  The 
frost  is  much  too  intense  for  that,  and  nothing  melts  ex- 
cept the  snow  quite  close  to  the  fire.  Stemaw  has  now 
concluded  his  arrangements :  a  small  piece  of  dried  deer's 
meat  warms  before  the  blaze ;  and,  meanwhile,  Ik  spreads 
his  green  blanket  on  the  ground,  and  fills  a  stone  calumet 
(br  pipe  with  a  wooden  stem)  with  tobacco,  mixed  with  a 
kind  of  weed  prepared  by  himself.  The  white  smoke 
from  this  soon  mingles  with  the  thicker  volumes  from  the 
fire,  which  curl  up  through  the  branches  into  the  sky. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


66 


now  shrouding  him  in  their  wreaths,  and  then,  as  the 
bright  flame  obtains  the  mastery,  leaving  his  dark  face 
and  coal-black  eyes  shining  in  the  warm  light.  No  one 
enjoys  a  pipe  more  than  an  Indian  ;  and  Steraaw's  tran- 
quil visage,  wreathed  in  tobacco  smoke,  as  he  reclines  at 
full  length  under  the  spreading  branches  of  the  pine,  and 
allows  the  white  vapor  to  pa  s  slowly  out  of  his  mouth 
and  nosey  certainly  gives  one  an  excellent  idea  of  savage 
enjoyment. 

Leaving  him  here  then,  to  solace  himself  with  a  pipe, 
preparatory  to  resting  his  wearied  limbs  for  the  night, 
we  will  change  the  hour,  and  conduct  the  reader  to  a 
different  scene. 

If  is  now  day.  The  upper  edge  of  the  sun  has  just 
risen,  red  and  frosty-looking,  in  the  east,  and  countless 
myriads  of  icy  particles  glitter  on  every  tree  and  bush, 
in  its  red  rays ;  while  the  white  tops  of  the  snow-drifts, 
which  dot  the  surface  of  the  small  lake  at  which  we  have 
just  arrived,  are  tipped  with  the  same  rosy  hue.  The 
lake  is  of  considerable  breadth,  and  the  woods  on  its 
opposite  shore  are  barely  visible.  An  unbroken  coat  of 
pure  white  snow  covers  its  entire  surface,  whilst  here  and 
there  a  small  islet,  covered  with  luxuriant  evergreens, 
attracts  the  eye,  and  breaks  the  sameness  of  the  scene. 
At  the  extreme  left  of  the  lake,  where  the  points  of  a  few 
bulrushes  and  sedgy  plants  appear  above  the  snow,  are 
seen  a  number  of  small  earthy  mounds,  in  the  immedi- 
ate vicinity  of  which  the  trees  and  bushes  are  cut  and 
barked  in  many  places,  while  some  of  them  are  nearly 
cut  down.  Tliis  is  a  colony  of  beaver.  In  the  warm 
months  of  summer  and  autumn,  this  spot  is  a  lively,  stir- 
ring place,  as  the  beavers  are  then  employed  nibbling 
down  trees  and  bushes,  for  the  purpose  of  repairing  their 
6 


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66 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


*jiii 


11 


m 


Ij:.*" , 


dams,  and  supplying  their  storehouaes  with  food.  The 
bark  of  willows  is  their  chief  food,  and  all  the  bushes  in 
the  vicinity  are  more  or  less  cut  through  by  tltese  perse- 
vering little  animals.  Their  dams,  however,!  (wliich  are 
made  for  the  purpose  of  securing  to  themselves  a  con- 
Btant  sufficiency  of  water,)  are  made  with  large  trees ; 
and  stumps  will  be  found,  if  you  choose  to  look  for  them, 
as  thick  as  a  man's  leg,  which  the  heaven?  have  entirely 
nibbled  through,  and  dnigged  by  their  united  efforts  many 
yards  from  where  they  grew. 

Now,  however,  no  sign  of  animal  life  is  to  be  seen,  as 
the  beavers  keep  within  doors  all  winter  ;  yet  I  venture 
to  state  that  there  are  many  now  asleep  under  the  snow 
before  us.  It  is  not,  reader,  merely  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  you  the  outside  of  a  beaver-lodge  that  I  liave 
brought  you  such  a  distance  from  human  habitations. 
Be  patient,  and  you  shall  soon  see  more.  Do  you  observe 
that  small  black  speck  moving  over  the  white  surface  of 
the  lake,  far  away  on  the  horizon  ?  It  looks  like  a  crow, 
but  the  forward  motion  is  much  too  steady  and  constant 
for  that.  As  it  approaches,  it  assumes  the  form  of  a  man, 
and  at  last  the  figure  of  Stemaw,  dragging  his  empty 
sleigh  behind  him,  (for  he  has  left  his  wolf  and  foxes  in 
the  last  night's  encampment,  to  be  taken  up  when  return- 
ing home,)  becomes  clearly  distinguishable  through  the 
dreamy  haze  of  the  cold  wintry  morning.  He  arrives  at 
the  beaver-lodges,  and,  I  warrant,  will  soon  play  havoc 
among  the  inmates. 

His  first  proceeding  is  to  cut  down  several  stakes,  which 
he  points  at  the  ends.  These  are  driven,  after  he  has  cut 
away  a  good  deal  of  ice  from  avountl  the  beaver-lodge, 
into  the  ground  betv/een  it  and  the  shore.  This  is  to 
prevent  the  beaver  from  running  along  the  passage  they 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


67 


always  have  from  their  lodges  to  the  shore,  where  their 
storehouse  is  kept,  which  would  make  it  necessary  to  ex- 
cavate the  whole  passage.  The  beaver,  if  there  are  any, 
being  thus  imprisoned  in  the  lodge,  the  hunter  next  stakes 
up  the  opening  into  the  storehouse  on  shore,  and  so  im- 
prisons those  that  may  have  fled  there  for  shelter,  on  hear- 
ing the  noise  of  his  axe  at  the  other  house.  Things  being 
tlius  arranged  to  his  entire  satisfaction,  he  takes  an  in- 
strument called  an  ice-chisel,  which  is  a  bit  of  steel  about 
a  foot  long  by  one  inch  broad,  fastened  to  the  end  of  a 
stout  pole,  wherewith  he  proceeds  to  dig  through  the 
lodge.  This  is  by  no  means  an  easy  operation  ;  and, 
although  ho  covers  the  snow  around  him  with  great  quan- 
tities of  frozen  mud  and  sticks,  yet  his  work  is  not  half 
finished.  At  last,  however,  the  interior  of  the  hut  is  laid 
bai*e,  and  the  Indian,  stooping  down,  gives  a  great  pull, 
when  out  comes  a  large,  fat,  sleepy  beaver,  which  he 
flings  sprawling  on  the  snow.  Being  thus  unceremoni- 
ously awakened  from  its  winter  nap,  the  shivering  ani- 
mal looks  languidly  around,  and  even  goes  the  length  of 
grinning  at  Stemaw,  by  way  of  showing  its  teeth,  for 
which  it  U  rewarded  with  a  blow  on  the  head  from  the 
pole  of  the  ice-chisel,  which  puts  an  end  to  it.  In  this 
way  several  more  are  killed,  and  packed  on  the  sleigh. 
Stemaw  then  turns  his  face  towai'ds  his  encampment, 
where  he  collects  the  game  left  there ;  and  away  he  goes 
at  a  tremendous  pace,  dashing  the  snow  in  clouds  from 
his  snow-shoes,  as  he  hurries  over  the  trackless  wilder- 
ness to  his  forest  home. 

Near  his  tent  he  makes  a  detour  to  visit  a  marten  trap ; 
where,  however  he  finds  nothing.  This  trap  is  of  the 
simplest  construction,  being  composed  of  two  logs,  the 
one  of  which  is  supported  over  the  other  by  means  of  a 


|::ii1 


I   ■■: 


I  .( 


^1 


68 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


i  .1 


small  stick,  in  such  a  manner  that  when  the  marten 
creeps  between  the  two  and  pulls  the  bait,  the  support 
is  removed,  and  the  upper  log  fulls  on  and  crushes  it  to 
death. 

In  half  an  hour  the  Indian  arrives  at  his  tent,  where 
the  dark  eyes  of  his  wife  are  seen  gazing  through  a  chink 
in  the  covering,  with  an  expression  that  denotes  immense 
joy  at  the  prospect  of  gorging  for  many  days  on  fat  bea- 
ver, and  having  wherewithal  to  purchase  beads  and  a 
variety  of  ornaments  from  the  white  men,  upon  the  occa- 
sion of  her  husband  and  herself  visiting  the  posts  of  the 
fur  traders  in  the  following  spring. 

I  must  crave  the  reader's  pardon  for  this  long  digres- 
sion, and  beg  him  to  recollect,  that  at  the  end  of  the  first 
chapter  I  left  myself  awaiting  orders  to  depart  for  Red 
River,  to  which  settlement  we  will  now  proceed. 


I. ,;  :n 


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I    ■  I 


HUDSON'S  DAY. 


60 


CHAPTER    V. 


VOYAGE  PROM  YORK  FACTORY  TO  RED  RIVER. 


QOMEWHERE   about  the  beginning  of  September, 
O  Mr.  Carles,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gowley;  Mr.  Rob,  and  my-^  <x:<jr^«y 
self,  set  out  with  the  Portage  la  Locke  brigade,  for  the  f 

distant  colony  of  Red  River.  The  Portage  la  Loche 
brigade  usually  numbers  six  or  seven  boats,  adapted  for 
inland  travelling  where  the  navigation  is  obstructed  by 
rapids,  waterfalls,  and  cataracts,  to  surmount  which,  boats 
and  cargo  are  carried  overland  by  the  crews.  These  car- 
rying places  are  called  portages,  and  between  York 
Factory  and  Red  River  there  an^upwards  of  thirty-six, 
of  various  lengths.  Besides  these,  there  are  innumerable 
rapids,  up  which  the  boats  have  to  be  pushed  inch  by 
inch  with  poles,  for  miles  together ;  so  that  we  had  to 
look  forward  to  a  long  and  tedious  voyage. 

The  brigade  with  which  we  left  York  Factory  usually 
leaves  Red  River  about  the  end  of  May,  and  proceeds  to 
Norway  House,  where  it  receives  Athabasca  and  Macken- 
zie's River  outfits.  It  then  sets  out  for  the  interior,  and 
upon  arriving  at  Portage  la  Loche,  the  different  boats 
land  their  cargoes,  while  the  Mackenzie's  River  boats, 
which  came  to  meet  them,  exchange  their  furs  for  the 
outfits.  The  brigade  then  begins  to  retrace  its  way,  and 
returns  to  Norway  House,  whence  it  proceeds  io  York 
Factory,  where  it  arrives  about  the  commencement  of 
September,  lands  the  furs,  and  receives  part  of  the  Red 


?'i- 


U.I;  I. 


1 


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J  i 


70 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


River  outfit,  with  which  it  sets  out  for  that  place  as  soon 
as  possible. 

With  t'lis  brigade,  then,  we  started  from  York  Factory, 
with  a  cheering  song  from  the  men  in  full  chorus.  They 
were  in  good  spirits,  beJhg  about  to  finish  the  long  voyage, 
and  return  to  their  families  at  Red  River,  after  an  absence 
of  nearly  five  months,  during  which  time  they  had  encoun- 
tered and  overcome  difficulties  that  would  haVe  cooled  the 
most  sanguine  temperament ;  but  these  hardy  Canadians 
and  half-breeds  are  accustomed  to  such  voyages  from  the 
age  of  fifteen  or  sixteen,  and  think  no  more  of  them  than 
other  men  do  of  ordinary  work. 

Mr.  Carles  and  I  travelled  together  in  the  guide's  boat ; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gowley  in  another,  and  Mr.  Rob  in  a  third 
by  himself.  We  took  the  lead,  and  the  others  followed  as 
they  best  could.  Such  was  the  order  of  march  in  which 
we  commenced  the  ascent  of  Hayes  River. 

It  may  not  be  unint^esting  here  to  describe  the  mate- 
riel of  our  voyage. 

Our  boat,  which  was  the  counterpart  of  the  rest,  was 
long,  broad,  and  shallow,  capable  of  carrying  forty  hun- 
dred weight,  and  nine  men,  besides  three  or  four  passen- 
gers, with  provisions  for  themselves  and  the  crew.  It  did 
not.  I  suppose,  draw  more  than  three  feet  of  water  when 
loaded,  perhaps  less,  and  was,  moreover,  very  light  for  its 
size.  The  cargo  consisted  of  bales,  being  the  goods  in- 
tended for  the  Red  River  sale-room  and  trading-shop.  A 
rude  mast  and  tattered  sail  lay  along  the  seats,  ready  for 
use,  should  a  favorable  breeze  spring  up ;  but  this  seldom 
occurred,  the  oars  being  our  chief  dependence  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  voyage. 

The  provisions  of  the  men  consisted  of  pemmican  and 
flour ;  while  the  passengers  revelled  in  the  enjoyment  of  a 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


71 


ham,  several  cured  buffalo-tongues,  tea,  sugar,  1)utter,  and 
biscuit,  and  a  little  brandy  and  wine,  wherewith  to  warm 
us  in  cold  weather,  and  to  cheer  the  crew  with  a  dram 
after  a  day  of  unusual  exertion.  All  our  provisions  were 
snugly  packed  in  a  case  and  basket,  made  expressly  for 
the  purpose. 

i*emmican  being  a  kind  of  food  with  which  people  in  the 
civilized  world  are  not  generally  acquainted,  I  may  as  well 
describe  it  here. 

It  is  made  by  the  buffalo  hunters  of  the  Red  River, 
Swan  River,  and  Saskatchewan  prairies ;  more  particu- 
larly by  those  of  Red  River,  where  many  of  the  colonists 
spend  a  great  part  of  the  year  in  pursuit  of  the  buffalo. 
They  make  it  thus :  having  shot  a  buffalo  (or  bison),  they 
cut  off  lumps  of  his  flesh,  and  slitting  it  up  into  flakes  or 
layers,  hang  it  up  in  the  sun  to  dry.  In  this  state  it  is 
often  made  up  into  packs  and  sent  about  the  country  to 
be  consumed  as  dried  meat ;  bui;  vfhen  pemmican  is  wanted, 
it  has  to  go  through  another  process.  When  dry  the 
meat  is  pounded  between  two  stones  till  it  is  broken  into 
small  pieces ;  these  are  put  into  a  bag  made  of  the 
animal's  hide,  with  the  hair  on  the  outside,  and  well 
mixed  with  melted  grease ;  the  top  of  the  bag  is  then 
sewn  up,  and  the  pemmican  allowed  to  cool.  In  this  state 
it  may  be  eaten  uncooked ;  but  the  voyageurs,  who  subsist 
on  it  when  travelling,  mix  it  with  a  little  flour  and  water, 
and  then  boil  it ;  in  which  state  it  is  known  throughout 
the  country  by  the  elegant  name  of  rohUhoo.  Pemmican 
is  good  wholesome  food,  will  keep  fresh  for  a  great  length 
of  time,  and  were  it  not  for  its  unprepossessing  appear- 
ance, and  a  good  many  buffalo  hairs  mixed  with  it,  through 
the  carelessness  of  the  hunters,  would  be  very  palatable. 
After  a  time,  however,  one  becomes  accustomed  to  those 
little  peculiarities.    • 


!  U  !, 


.J 


(        ! 


i  Si' 


72 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


I- 


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li 


It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  we  left  York  Factory ; 
and  after  travelling  a  few  miles  up  Hayes  River,  put 
ashore  for  the  night. 

We  encamped  upon  a  rough  gravelly  piece  of  ground, 
as  there  was  no  better  in  the  neighborhood  ;  so  that  ray 
first  night  in  the  woods  did  not  hold  out  the  prospect  of 
being  a  very  agreeable  one.  The  huge  log  fires,  however, 
soon  blazed  cheerily  up,  casting  a  ruddy  glow  upon  the 
surrounding  foliage,  and  the  wild  uncouth  figures  of  the 
voyageurs^  who,  with  their  long  dark  hair  hanging  in 
luxuriant  masses  over  their  bronzed  faces,  sat  or  reclined 
round  the  fires,  smoking  their  pipes,  and  chatting  with  as 
much  carelessness  and  good-humor  as  if  the  long  and 
arduous  journey  before  them  never  once  entered  their 
minds.  The  tents  were  pitched  on  the  most  convenient 
spot  we  could  find ;  and  when  supper  was  spread  out,  and 
a  candle  lighted,  (which,  by  the  way,  the  strong  blaze  of 
our  camp-fire  rendered  quite  unnecessary,)  and  Mr.  Carles, 
seating  himself  upon  a  pile  of  cloaks,  blankets,  and  cush- 
ions, looked  up  with  a  broad  grin  on  his  cheerful,  good- 
humored  countenance,  and  called  me  to  supper,  I  began 
to  think,  that  if  all  travelling  in  Hudson's  Bay  were  like 
this,  a  voyage  of  discovery  to  the  North  Pole  would  be  a 
mere  pleasure  trip !  Alas  !  in  after  years  I  found  it  was 
not  always  thus.  ;      ■  .\  t. 

Supper  was  soon  disposed  of,  and  having  warmed  our- 
selves at  the  fire,  and  ventured  a  few  rash  prophecies  on 
the  probable  weather  of  the  morrow,  we  spread  our 
blankets  over  an  oiled  cloth,  and  lay  lovingly  down  to- 
gether ;  Mr.  Carles  to  snore  vociferously,  and  I  to  dream 
of  home. 

At  the  first  blush  of  day  I  was  awakened  by  the  loud 
halloo  of  the  guide,  who,  with  the  voice  of  a  Stentor,  gave 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


78 


vent  to  a  ''Level  level  leve!'*  that  roused  the  whole 
camp  in  less  than  two  minutes.  Five  minutes  more  suf- 
ficed to  finish  our  toilet  (for,  be  it  known,  Mr.  Carles  and 
I  had  only  taken  off  our  coats),  tie  up  our  blankets,  and 
embark.  In  ten  minutes  we  were  once  more  pulling 
slowly  up  the  current  of  Hayes  River. 

The  missionaries  turned  out  to  be  capital  travellers, 
and  never  delayed  the  boats  a  moment ;  which  is  saying 
a  good  deal  for  them,  considering  the  short  space  of  time 
allowed  for  dressing.  As  for  the  hardy  voyageurs,  they 
slept  in  the  same  clothes  in  which  they  had  wrought  dur- 
ing the  day,  each  with  a  single  blanket  round  him,  in  the 
most  convenient  spot  he  could  find.  A  few  slept  in  pairs, 
but  all  reposed  under  the  wide  canopy  of  heaven. 

Early  morning  is  always  the  most  disagreeable  part  of 
the  traveller's  day.  The  cold  dews  of  the  past  night  ren- 
der the  air  chilly,  and  the  gloom  of  departing  night  tends 
greatly  to  depress  the  spirits.  As  I  became  acquainted 
with  this  mode  of  travelling,  I  became  more  knowing ; 
and,  when  there  was  not  much  probability  of  being  inter- 
rupted by  portages,  I  used  to  spread  out  my  blanket  in  the 
stern  of  the  boat,  and  snooze  till  breakfast-time.  The 
hour  for  breakfast  used  to  vary,  according  as  we  arrived 
late  or  early  at  an  eligible  spot.  It  was  seldom  earlier 
than  seven,  or  later  than  nine  o'clock. 

Upon  the  occasion  of  our  first  breakfast  in  the  woods,  we 
were  fortunate.  The  sun  shone  brightly  on  the  surround- 
ing trees  and  bushes  ;  the  fires  blazed  and  crackled ;  pots 
boiled,  and  cooks  worked  busily  on  a  green  spot,  at  the 
side  of  a  small  bay  or  creek,  in  which  the  boats  quietly 
floated,  scarce  rippling  the  surface  of  the  limpid  water. 
A  little  apart  from  the  men,  two  white  napkins  marked 
our  breakfast-place,  and  the  busy  appearance  of  our  cook 


f ' 


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M    '11 


r". 


# 


74 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


gave  hopes  that  our  fast  was  nearly  over.  The  whole 
scene  was  indescribably  romantic  and  picturesque,  and 
worthy  of  delineation  by  a  more  experienced  pencil  than 
mine.  Breakfast  was  a  repetition  of  the  supper  of  the 
preceding  night ;  the  only  difference  being,  tiiat  we  ate  it 
by  daylight,  in  the  open  air,  instead  of  by  candlelight, 
under  the  folds  of  our  canvas  tent.  After  it  was  over, 
we  again  embarked,  and  proceeded  on  our  way. 

The  men  used  to  row  for  a  space  of  time,  denominated 
a  pipe,  so  called  from  the  circumstance  of  their  taking  a 
smoke  at  the  end  of  it.  Each  spell  lasted  for  nearly  two 
hours,  during  which  time  they  rowed  without  intermis- 
sion. The  smoke  usually  occupied  five  or  ten  minutes, 
after  which  they  pulled  again  for  two  hours  more,  and  so 
on.  While  travelling  in  boats,  it  is  only  allowable  to  put 
ashore  for  breakfast ;  so,  about  noon,  we  had  a  cold  din- 
ner in  the  boat ;  and,  with  appetites  sharpened  by  ex- 
posure to  the  fresh  air,  we  enjoyed  it  pretty  well. 

In  a  couple  of  days  we  branched  off  into  Steel  River, 
and  began  its  ascent.  The  current  here  was  more  rapid 
than  in  Hayes  River ;  so  rapid,  indeed,  that,  our  oars 
being  useless,  we  were  obliged  to  send  the  men  ashore 
with  the  tracking-line.  Tracking,  as  it  is  called,  is  dread- 
fully harassing  work.  Half  of  the  crew  go  ashore,  and 
drag  the  boat  slowly  along,  while  the  other  half  go  to 
sleep.  After  an  hour's  walk,  the  others  then  take  their 
turn ;  and  so  on,  alternately,  during  the  whole  day. 

The  banks  of  the  river  were  high,  and  very  precipi- 
tous :  so  that  the  poor  fellows  had  to  scramble  along, 
sometimes  close  to  the  water's  edge,  and  sometimes  high 
up  the  bank,  on  ledges  so  narrow  that  they  could  scarcely 
find  a  footing,  and  where  they  looked  like  flies  on  a  wall. 
The  banks,  too,  being  composed  of  clay  or  mud,  were 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


75 


very  soft,  rendering  the  work  disagreeable  and  tiresome  ; 
but  the  light-hearted  voyageurs  seemed  to  be  quite  in 
their  element,  and  laughed  and  joked  while  they  toiled 
along,  playing  tricks  with  each  other,  and  plunging  oo- 
casionally  up  to  the  middle  in  mud,  or  to  the  neck  in 
water,  with  as  much  nonchalance  as  if  they  were  jump- 
ing into  bed. 

On  the  fifth  day  after  leaving  York  Factory,  we  ar- 
rived at  the  Rock  Portage.  This  is  the  first  on  the 
route,  and  it  is  a  very  short  one.  A  perpendicular  water- 
fall, eight  or  ten  feet  high,  forms  an  effectual  barrier  to 
the  upward  progress  of  the  boats  by  water ;  so  that  the 
only  way  to  overcome  the  difiiculty  is  to  carry  everything 
across  the  flat  rock,  from  which  the  portage  derives  it& 
name,  and  reload  at  the  upper  endc 

Upon  arriving,  a  novel  and  animating  scene  took  place. 
Some  of  the  men,  jumping  ashore,  ran  briskly  to  and  fro 
with  enormous  burdens  on  their  backs ;  whilst  others 
hauled  and  pulled  the  heavy  boats  slowly  up  the  cataract, 
hallooing  and  shouting  all  the  time,  as  if  they  wished  to 
drown  the  thundering  noise  of  the  water,  which  boiled 
and  hissed  furiously  around  the  rocks  on  which  we  stood. 
In  about  an  hour  our  boat,  and  one  or  two  others,  had 
passed  the  falls ;  and  we  proceeded  merrily  on  our  way, 
with  spirits  elevated  in  proportion  to  the  elevation  of  our 
bodies. 

It  was  here  that  I  killed  my  first  duck ;  and  well  do 
I  remember  the  feeling  of  pride  with  which  I  con- 
templated the  achievement.  That  I  had  shot  her  sit- 
ting about  five  yards  from  the  muzzle  of  my  gun,  which 
was  loaded  with  an  enormous  chra'ge  of  shot,  is  undeni- 
able ;  but  this  did  not  lessen  my  exultation  a  whit 
The   sparrows  I  used  to  kill  in  days  of  yore,  with  in- 


M 


L: 


i  ! 


\     i      '! 


76 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


expressible  delight,  grew  "small  by  degrees"  and  comi- 
cally less,  before  the  plump  inhabitant  of  the  marshes, 
till  they  dwindled  into  nothing ;  and  the  joy  and  fuss  with 
which  I  hailed  the  destruction  of  the  unfortunate  bird 
can  only  be  compared  to,  and  equalled  by  the  crowing 
and  flurry  with  which  a  hen  is  accustomed  to  announce 
the  production  of  her  first  egg. 

During  the  voyage,  we  often  disturbed  large  flocks  of 
geese,  uuJ  sometimes  shot  a  few.  When  we  chanced  to 
come  within  sight  of  them  before  they  saw  us,  the  boats 
fill  prt  ashore;  and  L'Esperance,  our  guide,  went  round 
tlirough  the  bushes,  to  the  place  were  they  were,  and 
i  idom  failed  in  rendering  at  least  one  of  the  flock  hors 
de  CO.  '-iL  At  first  I  would  as  soon  have  volunteered 
to  shoot  a  lion  in  Africa,  with  a  Bushman  beside  me, 
as  have  presumed  to  attempt  to  kill  geese  while  L'Espe- 
rance was  present — so  poor  an  opinion  had  I  of  my  skill 
as  a  marksman ;  but,  as  I  became  more  accustomed  to 
seeing  them  killed,  I  waxed  bolder ;  and  at  last,  one  day, 
having  come  in  sight  of  a  flock,  I  begged  to  be  allowed 
to  try  my  hand.  The  request  was  granted;  L'Espe- 
rance lent  me  his  gun,  and  away  I  went  cautiously 
through  the  bushes.  After  a  short  walk,  I  came  close 
to  where  they  were  swimming  about  in  the  water ;  and 
cocking  my  gun,  I  rushed  furiously  down  the  bank, 
breaking  everything  before  me,  and  tumbling  over  half- 
a-dozen  fallen  trees  in  my  ha&ie,  till  I  cleared  the  bushes; 
and  then,  scarcely  taking  time  to  raise  the  gun  to  my 
shoulder,  banged  right  into  the  middle  of  the  flock,  just 
as  they  were  taking  wing.  All  rose ;  but  they  had  not 
gone  far  when  one  began  to  waver  a  little,  and  finally 
sat  down  in  the  water  agaiii — a  sure  sign  of  being 
l)adly  wounded.     Before  the   boats   came  up,  however. 


m 


i\ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


77 


he  had  swum  to   the   opposite   bank,  and  hid  himself 
among  the  bushes  ;  so  that,  much  to  my  disappointment, 
I  had  not  the  pleasure  of  handling  this  new  trophy  of 
my  prowess. 

Upon  one  occasion,  while  sauntering  along  the  banks 
of  the  river  in  search  of  ducks  and  geese,  while  the 
boats  were  slowly  ascending  against  the  strong  current, 
I  happened  to  cast  my  eyes  across  the  stream,  and  there, 
to  my  amazement,  beheld  a  large  black  bear  bounding 
over  the  rocks  with  the  ease  and  agility  of  a  cat.  He 
was  not  within  shot,  however,  and  I  was  obliged  to  con- 
tent myself  with  seeing  him  run  before  me  for  a  quarter 
of  a  mile,  and  then  turn  oif  into  the  forest. 

This  was  truly  the  happiest  time  I  ever  spent  in  the 
Nor'west.  Everything  was  full  of  novelty  and  excite- 
ment. Rapid  succeeded  rapid,  and  portage  followed  port- 
age, in  endless  succession — giving  me  abundance  of  op- 
portunities to  range  about  in  search  of  ducks  and  geese, 
which  were  very  numerous,  while  the  men  were  drag- 
ging the  boats,  and  carrying  the  goods  ovei'  the  port- 
ages. The  weather  was  beautiful,  and  it  was  just  the 
season  of  the  year  when  the  slight  frost  in  the  morn- 
ings and  evenings  renders  the  blazing  camp-fire  agree- 
able, and  destroys  those  little  wretches,  the  mosquitos. 
My  friend  Mr.  Carles  was  a  kind  and  indulgent  com- 
panion, bearing  good-naturedly  with  my  boyish  pranks, 
and  cautioning  me,  of  course  ineffectually,  against  run- 
ning into  danger.  I  had  just  left  home  and  the  restraint 
of  scliool,  and  was  now  entering  upon  a  wild  and  ro- 
mantic career.  In  short,  everything  combined  to  render 
this  a  most  agreea^>le  and  interesting  voyage.  I  have 
spent  many  a  day  of  amusement  and  excitement  in  the 
country,  but  on   none  can  I  look  back  with  so  much 


w 


li! 

hi. 

11  .i; 


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lijiiii;!! 

m 


78 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


pleasure  as  on  the  time  spent  in  this  journey  to  Red 
River. 

The  scenery  through  which  we  passed  was  pretty  and 
romantic,  but  there  was  nothing  grand  about  it.  The 
country  generally  was  low  and  swampy ;  the  highest 
ground  being  the  banks  of  the  river,  which  sometimes 
rose  to  from  sixty  to  seventy  feet.  .Our  progress  in 
Hill  Ri\  •  was  slow  and  tedious,  owing  to  the  number 
of  rapids  encountered  on  the  way.  The  hill  from  which 
the  river  derives  its  name  is  a  small  insignificant  mound, 
and  owes  its  importance  to  the  flatness  of  the  surround- 
ing country. 

Besides  the  larger  wild-fowl,  small  birds  of  many  kinds 
were  very  numerous.  The  most  curious,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  most  impudent,  among  the  latter,  were  the 
whisky-jacks ;  they  always  hovered  round  us  at  breakfast, 
ready  to  snap  up  anything  that  came  within  their  reach, 
advancing  sometimes  to  within  a  yard  or  two  of  our  feet, 
and  looking  at  us  with  a  very  comical  expression  of  coun- 
tenance. One  of  the  men  told  me  thai  he  had  often 
caught  them  in  his  hand,  with  a  piece  of  pemmican  for  a 
bait ;  so,  one  morning  after  breakfast,  I  went  a  little  to 
one  side  of  our  camp,  and  covering  my  fsice  with  leaves, 
extended  my  hand  with  a  few  cj  iimbs  in  the  open  palm. 
In  five  minutes  a  whisky-jack  jumped  upon  a  branch  over 
my  head,  and  after  reconnoitring  a  minute  or  so,  lit  upon 
my  hand,  and  began  to  breakfast  forthwith.  You  may  be 
sure  the  trap  was  not  long  in  going  off;  and  the  screech- 
ing that  Mr.  Jack  set  up,  on  finding  my  fingers  firmly 
closed  upon  his  toes  was  tremendous.  I  never  saw  a 
more  passionate  little  creature  in  my  life ;  it  screamed, 
struggled,  and  bit  unceasingly,  until  I  let  it  go  5  and  even 
then,  it  lighted  on  a  tree  close  by,  and  looktid  at  uio  as 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


79 


impudently  as  ever.  The  same  day  I  observed  that 
when  the  men  were  ashore,  the  whisky-jacks  used  to  eat 
out  of  the  pemmican  bags  left  in  the  boats ;  so  I  lay  down 
close  to  one,  under  cover  of  a  buflf'alo-skin,  and  in  three 
minutes  had  made  prisoner  of  another  of  these  little  in- 
habitants of  the  forest.  They  are  of  a  bluish-gray  color, 
and  nearly  the  size  of  a  blackbird,  but  they  are  such  ^ 
bundle  of  feathers,  that  when  plucked  they  do  not  look 
much  larger  than  a  sparrow.  They  live  apparently  on 
animal  food  (at  least,  they  are  very  fond  of  it),  and  are 
not  corisidered  very  agreeable  eating. 

"We  advanced  very  slowly  up  Hill  River.  Sometimes, 
after  a  day  of  the  most  toilsome  exertions,  during  which 
the  men  were  constantly  pushing  the  boats  up  long  rapids, 
with  poles,  at  a  very  slow  pace,  we  found  ourselves  only 
four  or  five  miles  ahead  of  the  last  night's  encampment. 
As  we  ascended  higher  up  the  country,  however,  travelling 
became  more  easy.  Sometimes  small  lakes  and  tranquil 
rivers  allowed  us  to  use  the  oars,  and  even  the  sails,  when 
a  pufi"  of  fair  wind  arose.  Occasionally,  we  were  sweep- 
ing rapidly  across  the  placid  water ;  anon  buffeting  with, 
and  advancing  against,  the  foaming  current  of  a  power- 
ful river,  whose  raging  torrent  seemed  to  bid  defiance  to 
our  further  progress  ;  now  dragging  boats  and  cai'goes 
over  rocks,  and  through  the  deep  shades  of  the  forest, 
when  a  waterfall  checked  us  on  our  way  ;  and  again 
dashing  across  a  lake,  with  favoring  breeze,  and  some- 
times, though  rarely,  were  windbound  on  a  small  islet, 
or  point  of  hind. 

Our  progress  was  slow,  but  full  of  Interest,  novelty, 
and  amusement.  My  fellow-travellers  seemed  to  (jnjoy 
the  voyage  veiy  much,  and  evnil  Mrs.  Govvley,  to  whom 
luui|Mhl|M  wvvii  new,  liked  U  etutiedlngly. 


'■  •  't 


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80 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


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On  our  way  we  passed  Oxford  Ilou^e,  a  small  outpost 
of  York  Factoiy  district.  It  is  built  on  the  brow  of  a 
grassy  hill,  which  rises  gradually  from  the  marnjin  of 
Oxford  Lake.  Like  most  of  the  posts  in  the  country,  it 
is  composed  of  a  collection  of  wooden  houses,  built  in  the 
fonrj  of  a  square,  and  surrounded  by  tall  stockades, 
pointed  at  the  tops.  These,  however,  are  more  for  orna- 
ment than  defence.  A  small  flag-staff  towers  above  the 
buildings,  from  which,  upon  the  occasion  of  an  arrival,  a 
little  red  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  flag  waves  its  folds 
in  the  gentle  current  of  an  evening  breeze.  There  were 
oidy  two  or  three  men  at  the  place ;  and  not  a  human 
being,  save  one  or  two  wandering  Indians,  was  to  be 
found  within  hundreds  of  miles  of  this  desolate  spot. 

After  a  stay  here  of  about  half  an  hour,  we  proceeded 
jn  our  way. 

Few  things  are  more  beautiful  or  delightful  than  cross- 
ing a  lake  in  the  v/ouch,  on  a  lovely  morning  at  sunrise. 
The  brilliant  sun,  i ir^^ng  ir.  a  flood  of  light,  pierces  through 
the  thin  haze  of  morniMp^,  converting  the  countless  myriads 
of  dew-drops  that  hang  on  tree  and  bush  into  sparkling 
diamonds,  and  burnishing  the  motionless  flood  of  water, 
till  a  new  and  mighty  firmament  is  reflected  in  the  wave — 
as  if  Nature,  rising  early  from  her  couch,  paused  to  gaze 
with  admiration  on  her  resplendent  image,  reflected  in 
the  depths  of  her  own  matchless  mirror.  The  profound 
stillness,  too,  broken  only  by  the  measured  sweep  of  the 
oars,  fills  the  soul  with  awe ;  whilst  a  tranquil  but  un- 
bounded happiness  steals  over  the  heart  of  the  traveller, 
as  he  gazes  out  upon  the  distant  horizon,  broken  here  and 
there  by  small,  verdant  islets,  floating  as  it  were  in  air. 
He  wanders  back,  in  thouglit,  to  far  distant  climes,  or 
wishes,  mayhap,  that  it  were  possible  to  dwell  in  scenes 
like  this  with  those  he  loves  forever. 


J  V 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


81 


As  the  day  advances,  the  scene,  though  slightly 
changed,  is  still  most  beautiful.  The  increasing  heat, 
dispelling  ilie  mists,  reveals,  in  all  its  beauty,  the  deep 
blue  sky  speckled  with  thin  fleecy  clouds  ;  and  imparting 
a  genial  warmth  to  the  body,  creates  a  sympathetic  glow 
in  the  soul.  Flocks  of  snow-white  gulls  sail  in  "raceful 
evolutions  round  the  boats,  dipping  lightly  in  water 

as  if  to  kiss  their  reflected  images,  and,  r'-  'y 

hi  long  rapid  flights,  mount  in  circles  up  hig,  e 

tranquil  world  into  the  azure  sky,  till  small  whtu  copecks 
alone  are  visible  in  the  distance.  Up,  up  they  rise,  on 
sportive  wing,  till  the  straining  eye  can  no  longer  distin- 
guish them,  and  they  are  gone  I 

Ducks,  too,  whirr  past  in  rapid  flight,  steering  wide  of 
the  boats,  and  again  bending  in  lon,<?'.  graceful  curves  into 
their  course.  The  sweet,  plaintive  cry  of  the  whippoor- 
will  rings  along  the  shore,  and  the  faint  answer  of  his 
mate  floats  over  the  lake,  mellowed  by  distance  to  a  long, 
tiny  note.  The  air  is  motionless  as  the  v/ater,  and  the 
enraptured  eye  gazo-  in  dreamy  enjoyment  on  all  that  is 
lovely  and  peaceful  in  nature. 

Ihcse  are  the  'pleasures  of.  travelling  in  the  wilderness. 
Let  us  change  the  picture. 

The  sun  no  longer  shines  upon  the  tranquil  scene. 
Dark,  heavy  clouds  obscure  the  sky ;  a  suffocating  heat 
depresses  the  spirits  and  enervates  the  frame ;  sharp, 
short  gusts  of  wind  now  ruffle  the  inky  waters,  and  the 
floating  islands  sink  into  insignificance,  as  the  deceptive 
haze  which  elevated  ihem  flies  before  the  approaching 
storm.  The  ducks  are  gone  and  the  plaintive  notes  of 
the  whippoorwiil  are  huslied  as  the  increasing  breeze 
rustles  the  leafy  drapery  of  the  forest.  The  gulls  wheel 
round  still,  but  in  more  rapid  and  uncertain  flight,  accom- 
6 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

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HUDSON'S  BAY. 


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panying  their  motions  with  shrill  and  mournful  cries,  like 
the  dismal  wailings  of  the  spirit  of  the  storm.  A  few 
drops  of  rain  patter  on  the  boats,  or  plump  like  stones 
into  the  water,  and  the  distant  melancholy  growl  of  thun- 
der swells  upon  the  coming  gale.  Uneasy  glances  are 
cast,  ever  and  anon,  towards  clouds  and  shore,  and  grum- 
bling sentences  are  uttered  by  the  men.  Suddenly  a 
hissing  sound  is  heard,  a  loud  clap  of  thunder  growls 
overhead,  and  the  gale,  dashing  the  white  spray  wildly 
before  it,  rushes  down  upon  the  boats. 

"-4  ten^e!  a  terre!"  shout  the  men.  The  boats  are 
turned  towards  the  shore,  and  the  bending  oars  creak  and 
groan  as  they  pull  swiftly  on.  Hiss!  whirr!  the  gale 
bursts  forth,  dashing  clouds  of  spray  into  the  air ;  twist- 
ing and  curling  the  foaming  water  in  its  fury.  The  thun- 
der crashes  with  fearful  noise,  and  the  lightning  gleams 
in  fitful  lurid  streaks  across  the  inky  sky.  Presently  the 
shore  is  gained,  amid  a  deluge  of  rain  which  saturates 
everything  with  water  in  a  few  minutes.  The  tents  are 
pitched,  but  me  fires  will  scarcely  burn,  and  are  at  last 
allowed  to  go  out.  The  men  seek  shelter  under  the  oiled 
cloths  of  the  boats  ;  while  the  travellers,  rolled  up  in 
damp  blankets,  with  the  rain  oozing  through  the  tents 
upon  their  couches,  gaze  mournfully  upon  the  dismal 
scene,  and  ponder  sadly  on  the  shortness  of  the  step 
between  happiness  and  misery. 

Nearly  eighteen  days  after  we  left  York  Factory,  we 
arrived  in  safety  at  the  depot  of  Norway  House. 

This  fort  is  built  at  the  mouth  of  a  small  and  sluggish 
stream,  known  by  the  name  of  Jack  River.  The  houses 
are  ranged  in  the  form  of  a  square ;  none  of  them  exceed 
one  story  in  height,  and  most  of  them  are  whitewashed. 
The  ground  on  which  it  stands  is  rocky,  and  a  small  gar- 


'  1 


we 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


88 


den,  composed  chiefly  of  sand,  juts  out  from  the  stockades 
like  a  strange  excrescence.  A  large,  rugged  mass  of 
rocks  rises  up  between  the  fort  and  Playgreen  Lake, 
which  stretches  out  to  the  horizon  on  the  other  side  of 
them.  On  the  top  of  these  rocks  stands  a  flagstaff,  as  a 
beacon  to  guide  the  traveller ;  for  Norway  House  is  so 
ingeniously  hid  in  a  hollow  that  it  cannot  be  seen  from 
the  lake  till  the  boat  almost  touches  the  wharf. 

On  the  left  side  of  the  building  extends  a  flat,  grassy 
park,  or  green,  upon  which,  during  the  summer  months, 
there  is  often  a  picturesque  and  interesting  scene.  Spread 
out  to  dry  in  the  sun,  may  be  seen  the  snowy  tent  of  the 
chief  factor,  lately  arrived ;  a  little  further  off,  on  the  ris- 
ing ground,  stands  a  dark  and  almost  imperceptible  wig- 
wam, the  small  wreath  of  white  smoke  issuing  from  the 
top  proving  that  it  is  inhabited  ;  on  the  river  bank,  three 
or  four  boats  and  a  north  canoe  are  hauled  up ;  and  just 
above  them  a  number  of  sunburnt  voyageurs  and  a  few 
Indians  amuse  themselves  with  various  games,  or  recline 
upon  the  grass,  basking  in  the  sunshine. 

Behind  the  fort  stretches  the  thick  forest,  its  outline 
broken  here  and  there  by  cuttings  of  firewood  or  small 
clearings  for  farming. 

Such  was  Norway  House  in  1841.  The  rocks  were 
crowded  when  we  arr'^ed,  and  we  received  a  hearty 
welcome  from  Mr.  Buss  (the  chief  factor  in  charge)  and 
his  amiable  family.  As  it  was  too  late  to  proceed  any 
further  that  day,  we  determined  to  remain  here  all  night. 

From  the  rocks  before  mentioned,  on  which  the  flag- 
staff stands,  we  had  a  fine  view  of  Playgreen  Lake. 
There  was  nothing  striking  or  bold  in  the  scene,  the 
country  being  low  and  swampy,  and  no  hills  rose  on  the 
horizon,  or  cast  their  shadows  on  the  lake ;  but  it  was 


h 


u 


84 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


pleasing  and  tranquil,  and  enlivened  by  one  or  two  boats 
sailing  about  on  the  water. 

We  spent  an  agreeable  evening,  and  early  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning  started  again  on  our  journey,  having  re- 
ceived an  agreeable  addition  to  our  party  in  the  person 
of  Miss  Jessie  Buss,  second  daughter  of  Mr.  Russ,  from 
whom  we  had  just  parted. 

On  the  evening  of  the  first  day  after  our  departure 
from  Norway  House,  we  encamped  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Winnipeg.  This  immense  body  of  fresh  water  is  about 
three  hundred  miles  long  by  about  fifty  broad.  The 
shores  are  generally  flat  and  uninteresting,  and  the  water 
shallow ;  yet  here  and  there  a  few  pretty  spots  may  be 
seen  at  the  head  of  a  small  bay  or  inlei,  where  the  ground 
is  a  little  more  elevated  and  fertile. 

Nothing  particular  occurred  during  our  voyage  along 
|he  shores  of  the  lake,  except  that  we  hoisted  our  sails 
oftener  to  a  favorable  breeze,  and  had  a  good  deal  more 
night  travelling  than  heretofore.  In  about  five  days  after 
leaving  Norway  House,  we  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  Red 
River ;  and  a  very  swampy,  sedgy,  flat-looking  mouth  it 
was,  covered  with  tall  bulrushes,  and  swarming  with 
water-fowl.  The  banks,  too,  were  low  and  swampy ;  but, 
as  we  ascended,  gradually  became  more  woody  and 

elevated,  till  we  a^  ived  at  the  Stone  Fort — twenty  miles 
up  the  river-  -where  they  were  tolerably  high. 

A  few  miles  below  this  we  passed  an  Indian  settlement, 
the  cultivated  fields  and  white  houses  of  which,  with  the 
church  spire  in  the  midst,  quite  refreshed  our  eyes,  after 
being  so  long  accustomed  to  the  shades  of  the  primeval 
forest. 

The  Stone  Fort  is  a  substantial  fortification,  surrounded 
by  high  walls  and  flanked  with  bastions,  and  has  a  fine 
appearance  from  the  river.        .  * 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


85 


Here  my  friend  and  fellow-traveller,  Mr.  Carles,  hear-  • 
ing  of  his  wife's  illness,  left  us,  and  proceeded  up  the 
settlement  on  horseback.     The  missionaries  also  disem- 
barked, and  I  was  left  alone  to  be  rowed  slowly  to  Fort 
Garry,  nearly  twenty  miles  further  up  the  river. 

The  river  banks  were  lined  all  'the  way  along  with  the 
houses  and  farms  of  the  colonists,  which  had  a  thriving, 
cleanly  appearance  ;  and,  from  the  quantity  of  live  stock 
in  the  farm-yards,  the  number  of  pigs  along  the  banks, 
and  the  healthy  appearance  of  the  children  who  ran  out 
of  the  cottages  to  gaze  upon  us  as  we  passed,  I  inferred 
that  the  settlers  generally  were  well  to  do  in  the  world. 

The  houses  of  some  of  the  more  wealthy  inhabitants 
were  very  handsome-looking  buildings,  particularly  that 
of  Mr.  M'Allum,  where,  in  a  few  hours,  I  landed.  This 
gentleman  was  the  superintendent  of  the  Red  River 
Academy,  where  the  children  of  the  wealthier  colonists, 
and  those  of  the  gentlemen  belonging  to  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  are  instructed  in  the  various  branches  of 
English  literature,  and  made  to  comprehend  how  the 
world  was  convulsed  in  days  of  yore  by  the  mighty  deeds 
of  the  heroes  of  ancient  Greece  and  Rome. 

Here  I  was  hospitably  treated  to  an  excellent  breakfast, 
and  then  proceeded  on  foot  with  Mr.  Carles  (who  rejoined 
me  here)  to  Fort  Garry,  which  lay  about  two  miles  distant. 
Upon  arriving,  I  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Finlayson,  the 
chief  factor  in  charge,  who  received  me  very  kindly,  and 
introduced  me  to  my  fellow-clerks  in  the  office.  Thus 
terminated  my  first  inland  journey. 


'   ■ '  I'l 


hi 


;  i 


m 


i  .'I 


(■  i  1 


^l! 


If! 


86 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


• 


CHAPTER  VI. 


RED  RIVER  SETTLEMENT. 


RED  RIVER  settlement  is,  to  use  a  high-flown  ex- 
pression, an  oasi^in  the  desert ;  and  may  be  likened 
to  a  spot  upon  the  moon,  or  a  solitary  ship  upon  the 
ocean.  In  plain  English,  it  is  an  isolated  settlement 
on  the  borders  of  one  of  the  vast  prairies  of  North 
America. 

It  is  situated  partly  on  the  banks  of  Red  River,  and 
partly  on  the  banks  of  a  smaller  stream  called  the  Assi- 
naboine,  in  latitude  50°,  and  extends  upwards  of  fifty 
miles  along  the  banks  of  these  two  streams. 

The  country  around  it  is  a  vast  treeless  prairie,  upon 
which  scarcely  a  shrub  is  to  be  seen  ;  but  a  thick  coat  of 
grass  covers  it  throughout  its  entire  extent,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  spots,  where  the  hoUowness  of  the 
ground  has  collected  a  little  moisture,  or  the  meandering 
of  some  small  stream  or  rivulet  enriches  the  soil,  and 
covers  its  banks  with  verdant  shrubs  and  trees. 

The  banks  of  the  Red  and  Assinaboine  Rivers  are  cov- 
ered with  a  thick  belt  of  woodland,  which  does  not,  how- 
ever, extend  far  back  into  the  plains.  It  is  composed  of 
oak,  poplar,  willows,  «&c.,  the  first  of  which  is  much  used 
for  firewood  by  the  settlers.  The  larger  timber  in  the 
adjacent  woods  is  thus  being  rapidly  thinned,  and,  ere 
long,  the  inhabitants  will  have  to  raft  their  firewood  down 
the  rivers  from  a  considerable  distance. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


87 


The  settlers  are  a  mixture  of  French  Canadians, 
Scotchmen,  and  Indians.  The  first  of  these  occupy  the 
upper  part  of  the  settlement ;  the  second  live  near  the 
middle ;  and  the  Indians  inhabit  a  village  at  its  lower 
extremity. 

There  are  four  Protestant  churches :  the  upper,  mid- 
dle, and  lower  churches,  and  one  at  the  Indian  settlement. 
There  are  also  two  Roman  Catholic  chapels,  some  priests, 
and  a  Roman  Catholic  bishop,  resident  in  the  colony,  be- 
sides one  or  two  schools ;  the  principal  being,  as  before 
mentioned,  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr.  M'Allum, 
who  has  since  been  ordained  by  the  Bishop  of  Montreal, 
during  that  prelate's  visit  to  Red  River. 

For  the  preservation  of  the  peace,  and  the  punishment 
of  evil-doers,  a  Recorder  and  body  of  magistrates  are 
provided,  who  assemble  every  quarter  at  Fort  Garry, 
the  seat  of  the  court-house,  for  the  purpose  of  redressmg 
wrongs,  punishing  crimes,  giving  good  advice,  and  eating 
an  excellent  dinner  at  the  Company's  table.  There  was 
onfce,  also,  a  body  of  policemen ;  but,  strange  to  say,  they 
were  chosen  from  among  the  most  turbulent  of  the 
settlers,  and  were  never  expected  to  be  on  duty  except 
when  a  riot  took  place ;  the  policemen  themselves  gener- 
ally being  the  ringleaders  on  thos«  occasions,  it  may  be 
supposed  they  did  not  materially  assist  in  quelling  dis- 
turbances. 

The  Scotch  and  Indian  settlers  cultivate  wheat,  barley, 
and  Indian  corn  in  abundance,  for  which  the  only  market 
is  that  afforded  by  the  Company,  the  more  wealthy  set- 
tlers, and  retired  chief  factors.  This  market,  however, 
is  a  poor  one,  and  in  years  of  plenty  the  settlers  find  it 
difficult  to  dispose  of  their  surplus  produce.  Wild  fruits 
of  various  descriptions  are  abundant,  and  the  gardens 


88 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


are  well  stocked  with  vegetables.  The  settlers  have 
plenty  of  sheep,  pigs,  poultry,  and  horned  cattle;  and 
there  is  scarcely  a  man  in  the  place  who  does  not  drive 
to  church  on  Sundays  in  his  own  tariole. 

Red  River  is  a  populous  settlement ;  the  census  taken 
in  1843  proved  it  to  contain  upwards  of  5000  souls,  and 
since  then  it  has  been  rapidly  increasing. 

There  is  a  paper  currency  in  the  settlement,  which 
obviates  the  necessity  of  havinp^  coin  afloat.  English 
pence  and  half-pence,  however,  are  plentiful.  The  lowest 
paper  note  is  one  shilling  sterling,  the  next  five  shillings, 
and  the  highest  twenty  shillings.  The  Canadian  settlers 
and  half-breeds  are  employed,  during  the  greater  part  of 
the  year,  in  travelling  with  the  Company's  boat,  and  in 
buffalo  hunting.  The  Scotch  settlers  are  chiefly  farmers, 
tradesmen,  and  merchants. 

The  rivers,  which  are  crossed  in  wooden  canoes,  in  the 
absence  of  bridges,  are  well  stocked  with  fish,  the  princi- 
pal kinds  being  goldeyes,  sturgeon,  and  catfish.  Of  these 
I  think  the  goldeyes  the  best,  at  any  rate  they  are  the 
most  numerous.  The  wild  animals  inhabiting  the  woods 
and  prairies  are  much  the  same  as  in  the  other  parts  of 
North  America,  viz :  wolves,  foxes,  brown  and  black 
bears,  martens,  minx,  musquash,  rabbits,  &c. ;  while  the 
woods  are  filled  with  game,  the  marshes  and  ponds 
with  ducks,  geese,  swans,  craneii,  and  a  host  of  other 
water-fowl. 

Red  River  was  first  settled  upon  by  the  fur  traders, 
who  established  a  trading  post  many  years  ago  on  its 
banks ;  but  it  did  not  assume  the  character  of  a  colony 
till  1811,  when  Lord  Selkirk  sent  out  a  number  of  emi- 
grants to  form  a  settlement  in  the  wild  regions  of  the' 
Northwest.      Norwegians,  Danes,    Scotch,  and    Irish, 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


89 


composed  the  motley  crew ;  but  the  great  bulk  of  the  col- 
onists then,  as  at  the  present  time,  consisted  of  Scotchmen 
and  Canadians.  Unlike  other  settlements  in  a  wild 
country  inhabited  by  Indians,  the  infant  colony  had  few 
difficulties  to  contend  with  at  the  outset.  The  Indians 
were  friendly,  and  had  been  accustomed  to  white  men 
from  their  previous  contact,  for  many  years,  with  the 
servants  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company ;  so,  with  the 
exception  of  one  or  two  broils  among  themselves  and 
other  fur  traders,  the  colonists  plodded  peacefully  along. 
On  one  occasion,  however,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company 
and  the  Northwest  Company,  who  were  long  at  enmity 
with  each  other,  had  a  sharp  skirmish,  in  which  Mr. 
Semple,  then  Governor  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company, 
was  killed,  and  a  number  of  his  men  were  killed  and 
wounded.  ''    ^ 

The  whole  affair  originated  very  foolishly.  A  body  of 
men  had  been  observed  from  the  walls  of  Fort  Garry, 
travelling  past  the  fort,  and  as  Governor  Semple  wished 
to  ascertain  their  intentions,  he  sallied  forth  with  a  few 
men  to  intercept  them,  and  demand  their  object.  The 
Northwest  party,  on  seeing  a  body  of  men  coming  tow- 
ards them  from  the  fort^  halted  till  they  came  up  ;  and 
Cuthbert  Grant,  who  was  in  command,  asked  what  they 
wanted.  Governor  Sem;  1"  required  to  know  where  they 
were  going ;  being  answeretl  in  a  surly  manner,  an  alter- 
cation took  place  between  the  two  parties  (of  which  the 
Northwest  was  the  stronger),  in  the  middle  of  which  a 
shot  was  unfortunately  fired  by  one  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
party.  It  was  never  known  who  fired  this  shot,  and 
many  believe  that  it  was  discharged  accidentally ;  at  any 
rate,  no  one  was  injured  by  it.  The  moment  the  report 
was  heard,  a  volley  was  fired  by  the  Northwesters  upon 


U 


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..» 


ill' 


I 


(  ; 


:l 


90 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


I 


■  'i 
A-  ir.)i 


the  Hudi^on's  Bay  party,  which  killed  a  few,  and  wounded 
many  ;  among  the  latter  was  Governor  Semple.  Cuth- 
bert  Grant  did  his  utmost  to  keep  back  the  fierce  half- 
castes  under  his  command,  but  without  avail ;  and  at  last, 
seeing  that  this  was  impossible,  he  stood  over  the  wounded 
Semple,  and  endeavored  to  defend  him.  In  this  he  suc- 
ceeded for  some  time,  but  a  shot  from  behind  at  last  took 
effect  in  the  unfortunate  Governor's  body,  and  killed  him. 
After  this,  the  remainder  of  his  party  fled  to  the  fort,  and 
the  victorious  half-breeds  pursued  their  way. 

During  the  time  that  these  two  companies  opposed  each 
other,  the  country  was  in  a  state  of  constant  turmoil  and 
excitement.  Personal  conflicts  with  fists  between  the 
men — and,  not  unfrequently,  the  gentlemen — of  the  op- 
posing parties  were  of  the  commonest  occurrence,  and 
frequently  more  deadly  weapons  were  resorted  to.  Spirits 
were  distributed  among  the  wretched  natives  to  a  dreadful 
extent,  and  the  scenes  that  sometimes  ensued  were  dis- 
gusting in  the  extreme.  Amid  all  this,  however,  strata- 
gem was  more  frequently  resorted  to  than  open  violence 
by  the  two  companies,  in  their  endeavors  to  prevent  each 
other  from  procuring  furs  from  the  Indians.  Men  were 
constantly  kept  on  the  look-out  for  parties  of  natives  re- 
turning from  hunting  expeditions ;  and  those  who  could 
arrive  first  at  the  encampment  always  carried  off  the  furs. 
The  Indians  did  not  care  which  company  got  them  ; 
"  first  come,  first  served,"  was  the  order  of  the  day  ;  and 
both  were  equally  welcome,  provided  they  brought  plenty 
6{  jire  water. 

Although  the  individuals  of  the  two  companies  were 
thus  almost  always  at  enmity  at  the  forts,  strange  to  say, 
they  often  acted  in  the  most  friendly  manner  to  each 
other,  and  (except  when  furs  were  in  question)  more 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


91 


agreeable  or  friendly  neighbors  seldom  came  together 
than  the  Hudson's  Bay  and  Northwest  Companies,  when 
they  planted  their  forts  (which  they  often  did)  within 
two  hundred  yards  of  each  other,  in  the  wilds  of  North 
America.  The  clerks  and  laborers  of  the  opposing  es- 
tablishments constantly  visited  each  other ;  and  during 
the  Christmas  and  New-Year's  holidays,  parties  and  balls 
were  given  without  number.  Dances,  however,  were  not 
confined  entirely  to  the  holidays ;  but  whenever  one  was 
given  at  an  unusual  time,  it  was  generally  for  the  purpose 
of  drawing  the  attention  of  the  entertained  party  from 
some  movement  of  their  entertainers. 

Thus,  upon  one  occasion  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's 
look-out  reported  that  he  had  discovered  the  tracks  of  In- 
dians in  the  snow,  and  that  he  thought  they  had  just 
returned  from  a  hunting  expedition.  No  sooner  was  this 
heard  than  a  grand  ball  was  given  to  the  Northwest 
Company.  Great  preparations  were  made ;  the  men, 
dressed  in  their  newest  capotes  and  gaudiest  hat-cords, 
visited  each  other,  and  nothing  was  thought  of  or  talked 
of  but  the  ball.  The  evening  came,  and  with  it  the 
guests  ;  and  soon  might  be  heard  within  the  fort  sounds 
of  merriment  and  revelry,  as  they  danced,  in  lively  meas- 
ures, to  a  Scottish  reel,  played  by  some  native  fiddler 
upon  a  violin  of  his  own  construction.  Without  the  gates, 
however,  a  very  different  scene  met  the  eye.  Down  in 
a  hollow,  where  the  lofty  trees  and  dense  underwood 
threw  a  shadow  on  the  ground,  a  knot  of  men  might  be 
seen,  muffled  in  their  leathern  coats  and  fur  caps,  hurry- 
ing to  and  fro  with  bundles  on  their  backs  and  snow-shoes 
under  their  arms ;  packing  and  tying  them  firmly  on 
trains  of  dog-sledges,  which  stood,  with  the  dogs  ready 
harnessed,  in  the  shadow  of  the  bushes.     The  men  whis- 


''i™! 

. 

1   Oil 

■ 

.,'t 

I 

1 

■    i ! 

.  i 


9S 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


:i    :      ■      i 


pored  eagerly  and  hurriedly  to  each  other,  a^  they  packed 
their  goods,  while  others  held  the  dogs,  and  patted  them 
to  keep  them  quiet ;  evidently  showing,  that  whatever 
was  their  object,  expedition  and  secrecy  were  necessary. 
Soon  all  was  in  readiness :  the  bells,  which  usually 
tinkled  on  the  dogs'  necks,  were  unhooked  and  packed  in 
the  sledges — an  active-looking  man  sprang  forward  and 
set  off  at  a  round  trot  over  the  snow,  and  a  single  crp.ck 
of  the  whip  sent  four  sledges,  each  with  a  train  of  four 
or  five  dogs  after  him,  while  two. other  men  brought  up 
the  rear.  For  a  time  the  muffled  sound  of  the  sledges 
was  heard  as  they  slid  over  the  snow,  while  now  and  then 
the  whine  of  a  dog  broke  upon  the  ear,  as  the  impatient 
drivers  urged  them  along.  Gradually  these  sounds  died 
away,  and  nothing  was  heard  but  the  faint  echoes  of 
music  and  mirth,  which  floated  on  the  frosty  night-wind, 
giving  token  that  the  revellers  still  kept  up  the  dance, 
and  were  ignorant  of  the  departure  of  the  trains. 

Late  on  the  following  day  the  Nor'west  scouts  re- 
ported the  party  of  Indians,  and  soon  a  set  of  sleighs 
departed  from  the  fort  with  loudly  ringing  bells.  After 
a  long  day's  march  of  forty  miles,  they  reached  the  en- 
campment, where  they  found  all  the  Indians  dead  drunk, 
and  not  a  skin,  not  even  the  remnant  of  a  musquash,  left; 
to  repay  them  for  their  trouble  !  Then  it  was  that  they 
discovered  the  ruse  of  the  ball,  and  vowed  to  have  their 
revenge. 

Opportunity  was  not  long  wanting.  Soon  after  this 
occurrence  one  of  their  parties  met  a  Hudson's  Bay  train 
on  its  way  to  trade  with  the  Indians,  of  whom  they  also 
were  in  search.  They  exchanged  compliments  with  each 
other ;  and  as  the  day  was  very  cold,  proposed  lighting  a 
fire  and  taking  a  dram  together.    Soon  five  or  six  goodly 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


98 


trees  yielded  to  their  vigorous  blows,  and  fell  crushing  to 
the  ground  ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  one  of  the  party,  light- 
ing a  sidphur  match  with  h«.-t  flint  and  steel,  set  fire  to  a 
huge  pile  of  logH,  which  c/.ickled  and  burned  furiously, 
sending  up  cloud:*  of  sparks  into  the  wintry  sky,  and 
casting  a  warm  tinge  upon  the  snow  and  the  surrounding 
trees.  The  canteen  was  quickly  produced,  and  they  told 
their  stories  and  adventures,  while  tlie  liquor  mounted  to 
their  brains.  The  Nor'westers,  however,  after  a  little 
time,  spilled  their  grog  on  the  snow,  unperceived  by  the 
others,  so  that  they  kept  tolerably  sober,  while  their 
rivals  became  very  much  elevated ;  and  at  last  they  be- 
gan boasting  of  their  superior  powers  of  drinking,  and, 
as  a  proof,  each  of  them  swallowed  a  largo  bumper. 
The  Hudson's  Bay  party,  who  were  nearly  dead  drunk 
by  this  time,  of  course  followed  their  example,  and  al- 
most instantly  fell  in  a  heavy  sleep  on  the  snow.  In  ten 
minutes  more  they  were  tied  firmly  upon  their  sledges, 
and  the  dogs  being  turned  homewards,  away  they  went 
straight  for  the  Hudson's  Bay  Fort,  where  they  soon 
after  arrived,  the  men  still  sound  asleep  ;  while  the  Nor'- 
westers started  for  the  Indian  camp,  and,  this  time  at 
leaat,  had  the  furs  all  to  themselves. 

Such  were  the  scenes  that  took  place  thirty  years  ago 
in  the  northern  wildernesses  of  America.  Since  then, 
the  two  companies  have  joined,  retaining  the  name  of 
the  richer  and  more  powerful  of  the  two — the  "  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company."  Spirits  were  still  imported  after 
the  junction  ;  but  of  late  years  they  have  been  dispensed 
with  throughout  the  country,  except  at  the  colony  of  Red 
River,  and  the  few  posts  where  opposition  is  carried  on 
by  the  American  fur  companies ;  so  that  now  the  poor 
savage  no  longer  grovels  in  the  dust  of  his  native  wilder- 


'  I 


!   ! 


94 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


ftW, 


ness  under  the  influence  of  the  white  man's  fire  water ; 
and  the  stranger  who  travels  through  those  wild  romantic 
regions  no  longer  beholds  the  humiliating  scenes,  or  hears 
of  the  frightful  crimes,  which  were  seen  and  heard  of  too 
often  in  former  days,  and  which  always  have  been,  aijd 
always  must  be  prevalent  wherever  spiritous  liquors,  the 
great  curse  of  mankind,  are  plentiful,  and  particularly 
where,  as  in  that  country,  the  wild  inhabitants  fear  no 
laws,  human  or  divine. 

In  the  year  1826,  Eed  River  overflowed  its  banks  and 
flooded  the  whole  settlement,  obliging  the  settlers  to  for- 
sake their  houses,  and  drive  their  horses  and  cattle  to 
the  trifling  eminences  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  These 
eminences  were  few  and  very  small,  so  that  during  the 
flood  they  presented  a  curious  appearance,  being  crowded 
with  men,  w^omen,  and  children,  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  and 
poultry.  The  houses,  being  made  of  wood,  and  only  built 
on  the  ground,  not  sunk  into  it,  were  carried  away  by 
dozens,  and  great  numbers  of  horses  and  cattle  were 
drowned.  During  the  time  it  lasted,  the  settlers  sailed 
and  paddled  among  their  houses  in  boats  and  canoes  ;  and 
they  now  point  out  among  the  waving  grass  and  verdant 
bushes,  the  spot  where  they  dwelt  in  their  tents,  or  pad- 
dled about  the  deep  waters  in  their  canoes,  in  the  "  year 
of  the  flood."  This  way  of  speaking  has  a  strangciy 
antediluvian  sound.  The  hale,  middle-aged  colonist  will 
tell  you,  with  a  ludicrously  grave  countenance,  that  his 
house  stood  on  such  a  spot,  or  such  and  such  an  event 
happened,  ^^  a  year  before  ihejloodr 

Fort  Garry,  the  principal  establishment  of  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company,  stands  on  the  banks  of  the  Assina- 
boine  River,  about  two  hundred  yards  from  its  junction 
with  Red  River.     It  is  a  square  stone  building,  with  bas- 


HUDSOxS»S  BAY. 


95 


tions  pierced  for  cannon  at  the  corners.  The  principal 
dwelling-houses,  stores,  and  offices,  are  built  within  the 
walls,  and  the  stables  at  a  small  distance  from  the  fort. 
The  situation  is  pretty  and  quiet ;  but  the  surrounding 
country  is  too  flat  for  the  lover  of  the  grand  and  pic- 
turesque. Just  in  front  of  the  gate  runs,  or  rather  glides, 
the  peaceful  Assinaboine,  where,  on  a  fine  day  in  autumn, 
may  be  seen  thousands  of  goldeyes  playing  in  its  limpid 
waters. 

On  the  left  extends  the  woodland  fringing  the  river, 
with  here  and  there  a  clump  of  smaller  trees  and  willows 
surrounding  the  swamps  formed  by  the  melting  snows  of 
spring,  where  flocks  of  wild-ducks  and  noisy  plover  give 
animation  to  the  scene,  while  through  the  openings  in  the 
forest,  are  seen  glimpses  of  the  rolling  prairie.  Down  in 
the  hollow,  where  the  stables  stand,  are  always  to  be  seen 
a  few  horses  and  cows,  feeding  or  lazily  chewing  their  cud 
in  the  rich  pasturage,  giving  an  air  of  repose  to  the  scene, 
which  contrasts  forcibly  with  the  view  of  the  wide  plains 
that  roll  out  like  a  vast  green  sea  from  the  back  of  the 
fort,  studded  here  and  there  with  little  islets  and  hillocks, 
around  which  may  be  seen  hovering  a  watchful  hawk  or 
solitary  raven. 

The  climate  of  Red  River  is  salubrious  and  agreeable. 
Winter  commences  about  the  month  of  November,  and 
spring  generally  begins  in  April.  Although  the  winter  is 
very  long  and  extremely  cold  (the  thermometer  usually 
varying  between  ten  and  thirty  degrees  below  zero),  yet, 
from  its  being  always  dry  frost,  it  is  much  more  agreeable 
than  people  accustomed  to  the  damp  thawy  weather  of 
Great  Britain  might  .suppose. 

Winter  is  here  the  liveliest  season  of  the  year.  It  is 
then  that  the  wild,  demi-savage  colonist  leads  the  blushing 


1 


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96 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


(1  :■  :i  :l:':  i  'I 


half-breed  girl  to  the  altar,  and  the  country  about  his 
house  rings  with  the  music  of  the  sleigh  bells  as  his 
friends  assemble  to  congratulate  the  happy  pair,  and 
dance  for  three  successive  days.  It  is  at  this  season  the 
hardy  voyageurs  rest  from  their  toils,  and,  circling  round 
the  blazing  fire,  recount  many  a  tale  of  danger,  and  paint 
many  a  wild  romantic  scene  of  their  long  and  tedious 
voyages  among  the  lakes  and  rapids  of  the  interior ;  while 
their  wives  and  children  gaze  with  breathless  interest 
upon  their  swarthy,  sunburnt  faces,  lighted  up  with  ani- 
mation as  they  recall  the  scenes  of  other  days,  or,  -with 
low  and  solemn  voice,  relate  the  death  of  a  friend  and  fel- 
low voyngeur  who  perished  among  the  foaming  cataracts 
of  the  wilderness. 

During  the  summer  months  there  are  often  very  severe 
thunderstorms,  accompanied  with  tremendous  showers  of 
hail,  which  do  great  mischief  to  the  crops  and  houses. 
The  hailstones  are  of  an  enormous  size,  upwards  of  an 
inch  in  diameter ;  and  on  two  or  .three  occasions  they 
broke  all  the  windows  in  Fort  Garry  that  were  exposed 
to  the  storm. 

Generally  speaking,  however,  the  weather  is  serene  and 
calm,  particularly  in  autumn,  and  during  the  delicious 
season  peculiar  to  America  called  the  Indian  summer, 
which  precedes  the  commencement  of  winter. 

The  scenery  of  Red  River,  as  I  said  before,  is  neither 
grand  nor  picturesque,  yet,  when  the  sun  shines  brightly 
on  the  waving  grass,  and  glitters  on  the  silver  stream,  and 
when  the  distant  and  varied  cries  of  wild-fowl  break  in 
plaintive  cadence  on  the  ear,  one  experiences  a  sweet 
exulting  happiness,  akin  to  the  feelings  of  the  sailor  when 
he  gazes  forth  at  early  morning  on  the  polished  surface 
of  the  sleeping  sea.  .  . 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


97 


Such  Is  Red  River,  and  such  the  scei'Cs  on  which  I  gazed 
in  wonder,  as  I  rode  by  the  side  of  my  friend  and  fellow- 
clerk,  M'Kenny,  on  the  evening  of  my  arrival  at  ray  new 
home.  Mr.  M'Kenny  was  moi.nted  on  his  handsome 
horse  "  Colonel,"  while  I  cantered  by  his  side  on  a  horse 
that  afterwards  bore  me  over  many  a  mile  of  prairie  land. 
It  is  not  every  day  that  one  has  an  opportunity  of  describ- 
ing a  horse  like  the  one  I  then  rode,  so  the  reader  will  be 
pleased  to  have  a  little  patience  while  I  draw  his  portrait. 
In  the  first  place,  then,  his  name  was  "  Taureau."  He 
was  of  a  moderate  height,  of  a  brown  color,  and  had  the 
general  outlines  of  a  horse,  when  viewed  as  that  animal 
might  be  supposed  to  appear  if  reflected  from  the  depths 
of  a  bad  looking-glass.  His  chief  peculiarity  was  the 
great  height  of  his  hind-quarters.  In  youth  they  had 
outgrown  the  fore-quarters,  so  that,  upon  a  level  road, 
you  had  all  the  advantages  of  riding  down-hill.  He  can- 
tered delightfully,  trotted  badly,  walked  slowly,  and  upon 
all  and  every  occasion  evinced  a  resolute  pig-headedness, 
and  a  strong  disinclination  to  accommodate  his  will  to  that 
of  his  rider.  He  was  decidedly  porcine  in  his  disposition, 
very  plebeian  in  his  manners,  and  doubtless  also  in  his 
sentiments 

Such  was  the  Bucephalus  upon  which  t  took  my  first 
ride  over  the  Red  River  prairie  ;  now  swaying  to  and  fro 
on  his  back  as  we  galloped  over  the  ground,  anon  stottingy 
in  the  manner  of  a  recruit  in  a  cavalry  regiment  as  yet 
unaccustomed  to  the  saddle,  when  he  trotted  on  the  beaten 
track ;  and  occasionally,  to  the  immense  delight  of  M'Ken- 
ny, seizing  tight  hold  of  the  saddle,  as  an  uncertain  waver 
in  my  body  reminded  me  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton's  law  of 
gravitation,  and  that  any  rash  departure  on  my  part  from 


7.^ 


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98 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


iif 


,!  I''' 


,i  I 


mj  understanding  would  infallibly  lay  me  prostrate  on 
the  ground. 

Soon  after  my  arrival  I  underwent  the  operation  which 
my  horse  had  undergone  before  me,  viz :  that  of  being 
broken  in ;  the  only  difference  being  that  he  was  broken 
in  to  the  saddle  and  I  to  the  desk.  It  is  needless  to  de- 
scribe the  agonies  I  endured  while  sitting,  hour  after  hour, 
on  a  long-legged  stool,  my  limbs  quivering  for  want  of 
their  accustomed  exercise,  while  the  twittering  of  birds, 
barking  of  dogs,  lowing  of  cows,  and  neighing  of  horses, 
seemed  to  invite  me  to  join  them  in  the  woods.  Often, 
as  my  weary  pen  scratched  slowly  over  the  paper,  their 
voices  seemed  to  change  to  hoarse  derisive  laughter,  as  if 
they  thought  the  little  misshapen  frogs  croaking  and 
whistling  in  the  marshes  freer  far  than  their  proud  masters, 
who  coop  themselves  up  in  smoky  houses  the  livelong 
day,  and  call  themselves  the  free,  unshackled  "  lords  of 
the  creation ! " 

I  soon  became  accustomed  to  these  minor  miseries  of 
human  life,  and  ere  long  could  sit  . 


n 


"  From  mom  till  night  !i     c 

To  scratch  and  write  ,     •  . 

"'  '  Upon  a  three-legg'd  stool  ;        '       . 

.  t^-    •  Nor  mourn  the  joys  '  " 

Ay.  ^  Of  truant  boys  ;  ^    ^  /  v 

.^..   ,    .  Who  stay  away  from  school." 

There  is  a  proverb  which  says,  "  It  is  a  poor  heart  that 
never  rejoices."  Now,  taking  it  for  granted  that  the  prov- 
erb speaks  truth,  and  not  wishing  by  our  disregard  of  it 
to  be  thought  poor-hearted,  we — that  is,  M'Kenny  and  I — 
were  in  the  habit  of  rejoicing  our  spirits  occasionally — 
not  in  the  usual  way,  by  drinking  brandy  and  water, 
(though  we  did  sometimes,  when  nobody  knew  it,  indulge 


m 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


99 


ii 


in  a  glass  of  beer,  with  the  red-hot  poker  thrust  into  it,) 
but  by  shouldering  our  guns  and  sallying  forth  to  shoot 
the  partridges,  or  rather  grouse,  which  abound  in  the 
woods  of  Red  River.     On  these  occasions  M'Kenny  and 
I  used  to  range  the  forest  in  company,  enlivening  our 
walk  with  converse,  sometimes  light  and  cheerful,  often 
philosophically  deep,  or  thinking  of  the  "  light  of  other 
days."     We  seldom  went  out  without  bringing  home  a  few 
brace  of  gray  grouse,  which  were  exceedingly  tame ;  so 
tame,  indeed,  that  sometimes  they  did  not  take  wing  until 
two  or  three  shots  had  been  fired.     On  one  occasion,  after 
walking  about  for  half  an  hour  without  getting  a  shot,  we 
started  a  covey  of  seven,  which  alighted  upon  a  tree  close 
at  hand  ;  we  instantly  fired  at  the  two  lowest,  and  brought 
them    down,  while  the  others  only  stretched  out  their 
long  necks,  as  if  to  see  what  had  happened  to  their  com- 
rades, but  did  not  fly  away.    Two  more  were  soon  shot ; 
and  while  we  were  reloading  our  guns,  the  other  three 
flew  off  to  a  neighboring  tree.    In  a  few  minutes  more 
they  followed  their  companions,  and  we  had  bagged  the 
whole  seven.    This  is  by  no  means  an  uncommon  exploit, 
when  the  birds  are  tame  ;  and  though  poor  sport,  yet  it 
helps  to  fill  your  larder  with  somewhat  better  fare  than  it 
would  often  contain  without  such  assistance.     The  only 
thing  that  we  had  to  avoid  was,  aiming  at  the  birds  on  the 
higher  branches,  as  the  noise  they  make  in  falling  frightens 
those  below.    The  experienced  sportsman  always  begins 
with  the  lowest  bird,  and  if  they  sit  still  after  the  first 
shot,  he  is  almost  sure  of  the  rest. 

Shooting,  however,  was  not  our  only  amusement :  some- 
times, on  a  fine  evening,  we  used  to  saddle  our  horses  and 
canter  over  the  prairie  till  Red  River  and  the  fort  were 
scarcely  visible  in  the  horizon ;  or,  following  the  cart 


if'  11 


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t  ■  • 


f;         } 


100 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


■  -  V 


road  along  the  settlement,  we  called  upon  our  friends  and 
acquaintances;  returning  the  polite  "  bonjonr*'  of  the 
French  settler,  as  he  trotted  past  us  on  his  shaggy  pony, 
or  smiling  at  the  pretty  half-caste  girls,  as  they  passed 
along  the  road.  These  same  girls,  by  the  way,  are  gen- 
erally very  pretty ;  they  make  excellent  wives,  and  are 
uncommonly  thrifty.  With  beads,  and  brightly  colored 
porcupines'  quills,  and  silk,  they  work  the  most  beautiful 
devices  on  the  moccasins,  leggins,  and  leathern  coats 
worn  by  the  inhabitants ;  and  during  the  long  winter 
months  they  spin  and  weave  an  excellent  kind  of  cloth, 
from  the  wool  produced  by  the  sheep  of  the  settlement, 
mixed  with  that  of  the  buffalo,  brought  from  the  prairies 
by  the  hunters.  ' 

About  the  middle  of  autumn  the  body  of  Mr  Thomas 
Simpson,  the  unfortunate  discoverer,  who,  in  company  with 
Mr.  Dease,  attempted  to  discover  the  Nor'west  Pas- 
sage, was  brought  to  the  settlement  for  burial.  Poor  Mr. 
Simpson  had  set  out  with  a  party  of  Red  River  half- 
breeds,  for  the  purpose  of  crossing  the  plains  to  St.  Louis, 
and  proceeding  thence  through  the  United  States  to  Eng- 
land. Soon  after  his  departure,  however,  several  of  the 
party  returned  to  the  settlement,  stating  that  Mr.  Simp- 
son had,  in  a  fit  of  insanity,  killed  two  of  his  men  and 
then  shot  himself,  and  that  they  had  buried  him  on  the 
spot  where  he  fell.  This  story,  of  course,  created  a  great 
sensation  in  the  colony ;  and  as  all  the  party  gave  the 
same  account  of  the  affair  upon  investigation,  it  was  be- 
lieved by  many  that  he  had  committed  suicide.  A  few, 
howevei',  thought  that  he  had  been  murdered,  and  had 
shot  the  two  men  in  self-defence.  In  the  autumn  of  1841 
the  matter  was  ordered  to  be  further  inquired  into ;  and, 
accordingly,  Dr.  Bunn  was  sent  to  the  place  where  Mr. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


101 


Simpson's  body  had  been  interred,  for  the  purpose  of 
raising  and  examining  it.  Decomposition,  however,  had 
proceeded  too  far ;  so  the  body  was  conveyed  to  the  col- 
ony for  burial,  and  Dr.  Bunn  returned  without  having 
discovered  anything  that  could  throw  light  on  the  melan- 
choly subject. 

I  did  not  know  Mr.  Simpson  personally,  but  from  the 
report  of  those  who  did,  it  appears  that,  though  a  clever 
and  honorable  man,  he  was  of  rather  a  haughty  disposi- 
tion, and  in  consequence  was  very  much  disliked  by  the 
half-breeds  of  Red  River.  I  therefore  think,  with  many 
of  Mr.  Simpson's  friends  and  former  companions,  that  he 
did  not  kill  himself,  and  that  this  was  only  a  false  report 
of  his  murderers.  Besides,  it  is  not  probable  that  a  man 
who  had  just  succeeded  in  making  important  additions  to 
our  geographical  knowledge,  and  who  might  reasonably 
expect  honor  and  remuneration  upon  returning  to  his 
native  land,  would,  without  any  known  or  apparent  cause, 
first  commit  murder  and  then  suicide.  By  his  melan- 
choly death,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  lost  a  faithful 
servant,  and  the  world  an  intelligent  and  enterprising 
man. 

Winter,  according  to  its  ancient  custom,  passed  away  ; 
and  spring,  not  with  its  genial  gales  and  scented  flowers, 
but  with  burning  sun  and  melting  snow,  changed  the  face 
of  nature,  and  broke  the  icy  covering  of  Red  River. 
Duffle  coats  vanished,  and  a  few  of  the  half-breed  settlers 
doffed  their  fur  caps,  and  donned  the  "  bonnet  rouge," 
while  the  more  hardy  and  savage  contented  themselves 
with  the  bonnet  «o«V,  in  the  shape  of  their  own  thick, 
black  hair.  Carioles  still  continued  to  run,  but  it  was 
merely  from  the  force  of  habit,  and  it  was  evident  they 
would  soon  give  up  in  despair.  Sportsmen  began  to  think 


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\ 

102 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


of  ducks  and  geese,  farmers  of  ploughs  and  wheat,  and 
voyageurs  to  dream  of  rapid  streams  and  waterfalls,  and 
of  distant  voyages  in  light  canoes. 

Immediately  upon  the  ice  on  the  lakes  and  rivers 
breaking  up,  we  made  arrangements  for  despatching  the 
Mackenzie's  River  brigade,  which  is  always  the  first  that 
leaves  the  colony,  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  goods  to 
Mackenzie's  River,  and  carrying  furs  to  the  sea-coast. 

Choosing  the  men  for  this  long  and  arduous  voyage 
was  an  interesting  scene.  L'Esperance,  the  old  guide, 
who  had  many  a  day  guided  this  brigade  through  the 
lakes  and  rivers  of  the  interior,  made  his  appearance  at 
the  fort  a  day  or  two  before  the  time  fixed  for  starting ; 
and  at  his  heels  followed  a  large  band  of  wild,  careless, 
happy-looking  half-breeds.  Having  collected  in  front  of 
%the  ofiice  door,  Mr.  M'Kenny  went  out  with  a  book  and 
pencil  in  his  hand,  and  told  L'Esperance  to  begin.  The 
guide  went  a  little  apart  from  the  rest,  accompanied  by 
the  steersmen  of  the  boats  (seven  or  eight  in  number), 
and  then,  scanning  the  group  of  dark,  athletic  men  who 
stood  smiling  before  him,  called  out,  "  Pierre  !  "  A  tall, 
Herculean  man  answered  to  the  call,  and  stepping  out 
from  among  the  rest,  stood  beside  ^his  friend  the  guide. 
After  this,  one  of  the  steersmen  chose  another  man ;  and 
so  on,  till  the  crews  of  all  the  boats  were  completed. 
Their  names  were  then  marked  down  in  a  book,  and  they 
all  proceeded  to  the  trading-room,  for  the  purpose  of  tak- 
ing "  advances,"  in  the  shape  of  shirts,  trousers,  bonnets, 
caps,  tobacco,  knives,  capotes,  and  all  the  other  things 
necessary  for  a  long,  rough  journey. 

On  the  day  appointed  for  starting,  the  boats,  to  thd 
number  of  six  or  seven,  w^ere  loaded  with  goods  for  the 
interior ;  and  the  voyageursy  dressed  in  their  new  clothes, 


HUDSON'S  BAT. 


108 


'# 


embarked,  after  shaking  hands  with,  and  in  many  cases 
embracing,  their  comrades  on  the  land ;  and  then,  ship- 
ping their  oars,  they  shot  from  the  bank  and  row(}d 
swiflly  down  Bed  River,  singing  one  of  their  beautiful 
boat-songs,  which  was  every  now  and  then  interrupted 
by  several  of  the  number  hallooing  a  loud  farewell,  as 
they  passed  here  and  there  the  cottages  of  friends. 

With  this  brigade  I  also  bade  adieu  to  Bed  Biver,  and, 
after  a  pleasant  voyage  of  a  few  days,  landed  at  Norway 
House,  while  the  boats  pursued  their  way. 


,  :   i'' 


It     -i 


1  H 


1    1'; 


'!   1 


:t  ,;, 


104 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


;  i  I  :,:r  im 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

NORWAY  HOUSE. 

NORWAY  HOUSE,  as  we  have  before  mentioned,  is 
built  upon  the  shores  of  Playgreen  Lake,  close  to 
Jack  River,  and  distant  about  twenty  miles  from  Lake 
Winnipeg.  At  its  right-hand  corner  rises  a  huge  abrupt 
rock,  from  whose  summit,  where  stands  a  flagstaff,  a  fine 
view  of  Playgreen  Lake  and  the  surrounding  country  is 
obtained.  On  this  rock  a  number  of  people  were  assem- 
bled to  witness  our  arrival,  and  among  them  Mr.  Russ, 
who  sauntered  down  to  the  wharf  to  meet  us  as  we  step- 
ped ashore. 

A  few  days  after  my  arrival,  the  Council  "  resolved  " 
that  I  should  winter  at  Norway  House  ;  so  next  day,  in 
accordance  with  the  resolution  of  that  august  assembly,  I 
took  up  my  quarters  in  the  clerks'  room,  and  took,  pos- 
session of  the  books  and  papers.  . 

It  is  an  author's  privilege,  I  believe,  to  jump  from 
place  to  place  and  annihilate  time  at  pleasure.  I  avail 
myself  of  it  to  pass  over  the  autumn — during  which  I 
hunted,  fished,  and  paddled  in  canoes  to  the  Indian  vil- 
lage at  Rossville  a  hundred  times — ^and  jump  at  once 
into  the  middle  of  winter. 

Norway  House  no  longer  boasts  the  bustle  and  excite-^ 
ment  of  the  summer  season.     No  boats  arrive,  no  group^ 
of  ladies  and  gentlemen  assemble  on  the  rocks  to  gaze  at  I 
the  sparkling  waters.     A  placid  stillness  reigns  around, 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


105 


except  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  fort,  where  a  few 
axe-men  chop  the  winter  firewood,  or  start  with  trains  of 
dog-sledges  for  the  lakes,  to  bring  home  loads  of  white- 
fish  and  venison.  Mr.  Russ  is  reading  the  "  Penny 
Cyclopaedia"  in  the  Hall  (as  the  winter  mess-room  is 
called),  and  I  am  writing  in  the  dingy  little  office  in  the 
shade,  which  looks  pigstyish  in  appearance  without,  but 
is  warm  and  snug  within.  Alongside  of  me  sits  Mr. 
Cumming,  a  tall,  bald-headed,  sweet-tempered  man  of 
forty-five,  who  has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life 
among  the  bears  and  Indians  of  Hudson's  Bay,  and  is 
now  on  a  Christmas  visit  at  Norway  House.  He  has 
just  arrived  from  his  post,  a  few  hundred  miles  ofl', 
whence  he  walked  on  snow-shoes,  and  is  now  engaged  in 
taking  off  his  moccasins  and  blanket  socks,  which  he 
spreads  out  carefully  below  the  stove  to  dry. 

We  do  not  continue  long,  however,  at  our  different 
occupations.  Mr.  Evans,  the  Wesleyan  missionary,  is  to 
give  a  feast  to  the  Indians  at  Rossville,  and  afterwards  to 
examine  the  little  children  who  attend  the  village  school. 
To  this  feast  we  are  invited;  so  in  the  afternoon  Mr. 
Cumming  and  I  put  on  our  moose-skin  coats  and  snow- 
shoes,  and  set  off  for  the  village,  about  two  miles  distant 
from  the  fort. 

By  the  way  Mr.  Cumming  related  an  adventure  he 
had  had  while  travelling  through  the  country  j  and  as  it 
may  serve  to  show  the  dangers  sometimes  encountered 
by  those  who  wander  through  the  wilds  of  North  Amer- 
ica, I  will  give  it  here  in  his  own  words. 


'  \U 


i  r  i 


MK.  CUMMIN G's  ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BEAR. 

"It  was  about  the  beginning  of  winter,"  said  he,  "  that 
I  set  off  on  snow-shoes,  accompanied  by  an  Indian,  to  a 


.  i 


I 

'i  B 


106 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


W) 


in    i! 


'■■  ■! 


111 


small  lake  to  fetch  fish  caught  in  the  autumn,  and  which 
then  lay  frozen  in  a  little  house  built  of  logs,  to  protect 
them  for  winter  use.  The  lake  was  about  ten  miles  f^ff ; 
and  as  the  road  was  pretty  level  and  not  much  covered 
with  underwood,  we  took  a  train  of  do^.s  with  us,  and  set 
off  before  daybreak,  intending  to  return  again  before 
dark ;  and  as  the  day  was  clear  and  cold,  we  went  cheer- 
ily along  without  interruption,  except  an  occasional  fall 
when  a  branch  caught  our  snow-shoes,  or  a  stoppage  to* 
clear  the  traces  when  the  dogs  got  entangled  amon,";  thi; 
trees.  We  had  proceeded  about  six  miles,  and  \},e  Trst 
gray  streaks  of  day  lit  up  the  eastern  horizon,  wlu.Ti  the 
Indian  who  walked  in  advance  paused,  tiid  appeui  od  to 
examine  some  foot-prints  in  the  snow.  Al'tor  a  few  min- 
utes of  close  observation,  he  rose  and  said,  that  ,x  bear 
had  passed  not  long  before,  aij.l  could  not  be  far  off,  and 
asked  permission  to  follow  it.  I  told  him  he  might  do  so, 
and  said  I  would  drive  the  dogs  in  his  track,  as  the  bear 
had  gone  in  the  direction  of  the  fish-house.  The  Indian 
threw  his  gun  over  his  shoulder,  and  was  soon  lost  in  the 
forest.  For  a  quarter  of  an  hour  I  plodded  on  behind 
the  dogs,  now  urging  them  along,  as  they  flagged  and 
panted  in  the  deep  snow,  and  occasionally  listening  for  a 
shot  from  my  Indian's  gun.  At  last  he  fired,  and  almost 
immediately  after  fired  again ;  for  you  must  know  that 
some  Indians  can  load  so  fast  that  two  shots  from  their 
single  barrel  sound  almost  like  the  discharge  in  succession 
of  the  two  shots  from  a  double-barrelled  gun.  Shortly 
after,  I  heard  another  :?hot :  and  then,  as  all  became  si- 
lent, I  concluded  he  h  d  k'^^^  the  bepr,  qnd  thai  I  should 
soon  find  him  cuttiiig  ii  up.  Just  as  I  thought  this,  a 
fierce  growl  alarmed  me  ;  so,  seizing  a  pistol  which  I  al- 
ways carried  with  me,  I  hastened  forward.    As  I  came 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


107 


nearer,  I  beard  a  man's  voice  mingled  with  the  growls  of 
a  bear ;   and  upon  arriving  ut  the  foot  of  a  small  mound, 
my  Indian's  voice,  apostrophizing  deutli,  became  distinctly 
audible.     '  Come  Death ! '    said  he,  in  a  contemptuous 
toiii;  :   *  you  hu\     got  me  at  last,  but  the  Indian  does  not 
fear  you  . '  A  loud  angry  growl  fi   m  the  bear,  as  he  saw 
me  rushing  up  the  hill,  stopped  him  ;   and  the  unfortu-  '■ 
nate  man  turned  his     ye»  upon  uk   with  an  imploring 
look.     He  was    ving  on  his  back,  while  the  bear  (:i  black  , 
one)  stood  over  liira,  hoUling  one  of  his  arms  i  \  its  mouth. 
In  rushing  up  th«    mound  I  unfortunately  stumbled,  and 
filled  my  pistol  with  snow ;  so  that  when  t!  '^  bea'*  left  i  'O 
Indian  and  rushed  towards  me,  it  missed  .ire,  an  1  I  hti  I 
only  left  me  the  poor,  almost  hopeless  chan(  •,  of  si  inning 
the  savage  animal  with  a  blow  of  the  butt-ead.     J.   *  iw 
he  was  rearing  on  his  hind  legs,  my  eye  fell  upo      'le 
Indian's  axe,  which  fortun  tely  lay  at  my  feet,  and  :*i^j- 
ing  it,  I  brought  it  down  with  all  my  strength  on    'ie 
bear's  head,  just  at  the  inonvnt  that  he  fell  upon  me,  wmI 
we  rolled  down  the  hill  togei  ler.     Upon  recovering  mp^ 
self,  I  found  that  the  blow  ot  the  axe  had  killed  him  k  - 
stantly,  and  that  I  was  uninjured.     Not  so  the  Indiai.    - 
the  whole  calf  of  his  left  leg  was  bitten  off",  and  his  bod_;  * 
lacerated  dreadfully  in  various  i  >laces.    He  was  quite  sen- 
sible, however,  though  very  faini ,  and  spoke  to  me  when  I 
stooped  to  examine  his  wounds.     In  a  short  time  I  had 
tied  them  up ;   and  placing  him  on  the  sledge  with  part 
of  the  bear's  carcass,  which  I  intended  to  dine  upon,  we- 
returned  immediately  to  the  fort.     The  poor  Indian  got 
better  slowly,  but  he  never  recovered  the  perfect  use  of 
his  leg,  and  now  hobbles  about  the  fort,  cutting  firewood, 
or  paddling  about  the  lake  in  search  of  ducks  and  geese 
hi  his  bark  canoe." 


J 

'   'i 

;    i 

I 

i 

1 

i 

s 

1 

<1H 

• 

!    1 


'■  m 

m 


t  U''^^' 


108 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


Hi'' 


I »'  r,:rife"  •■4 ;   :  HI 


Mr.  Gumming  concluded  his  story  just  as  we  arrived 
at  the  little  bay,  at  the  edge  of  which  the  Indian  village 
of  Rossville  is  built.  From  the  spot  where  we  stood,  the 
body  of  the  village  did  not  appear  to  much  advantage ; 
but  the  parsonage  and  church,  which  stood  on  a  small 
mound,  their  white  walls  in  strong  contrast  to  the  back- 
ground of  dark  trees,  had  a  fine  picturesque  eflfect. 
There  were  about  twenty  houses  in  the  village,  inhabited 
entirely  by  Indians,  most  of  whom  were  young  and  mid- 
dle-aged men.  They  spend  their  time  iii  farming  during 
the  summer,  and  are  successful  in  raising  potatoes  and  a 
few  other  vegetables  for  their  own  use.  In  winter  they 
go  into  the  woods  to  hunt  fur-bearing  animals,  and  also 
deer ;  but  they  never  remain  long  absent  from  their 
homes.  Mr.  Evans  resided  among  them,  and  taught 
them  and  their  children  writing  and  arithmetic,  besides 
instructing  them  in  the  principles  of  Cliristianity.  They 
often  assembled  in  the  school-house  for  prayer  and  sacred 
music,  and  attended  Divine  service  regularly  in  the 
church  every  Sunday.  Mr.  Evans,  who  was  a  good  mu- 
sician, had  taught  them  to  sing  in  parts ;  and  it  has  a 
wonderfully  pleasing  effect  upon  a  stranger  to  hear  these 
dingy  sons  and  daughters  of  the  wilderness  raising  their 
melodious  voices  in  harmony  in  praise  of  the  Christian's 
•God. 

Upon  our  arrival  at  the  village,  vo  were  ushered  into 
Mr.  Evans's  neat  cottage,  from  the  windows  of  which  is  a 
fine  view  of  Playgreen  Lake,  studded  with  small  islands, 
stretching  out  to  the  horizon  on  the  right,  and  a  bound- 
less wilderness  of  trees  on  the  left. .  Here  were  collected 
the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  Norway  House,  and  a  num- 
ber of  indescribable  personages,  apparently  engaged  in 
mystic  preparations  for  the  approaching  feast.     It  was 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


109 


with  something  like  awe  that  I  entered  the  school-room, 
and  beheld  two  long  rows  of  tables  covered  with  puddings, 
pies,  tarts,  stews,  hashes,  and  vegetables  of  all  shapes, 
sizes  and  descriptions,  smoking  thereon.     I  feared  for 
the  Indians,  although  they  can  stand  a  great  deal  in  the 
way  of  repletion ;   moderation  being,  of  course,  out  of 
the  question,  with  such  abundance  ot  good  things  placed 
before  them.    A  large  shell  was  sounded  after  the  man- 
ner of  a  bugle,  and  all  the  Indians  of  the  village  walked 
into  the  room  and   seated  themselves,  the  women  on 
one  side  of  the  long  tables,  and  the  men  on  the  other* 
Mr.  Evans  stood  at  the  head,  and  asked  a  blessing ;    andi 
then  commenced  a  work  of  demolition,  the  like  of  which, 
has  not  been  seen  since  the  foundation  of  the  world !: 
The  pies  had  strong  crusts,  but  the  knives  were  stronger;, 
the  paste  was  hard  and  the  interior  tough,  but  Indian 
teeth  were  harder  and  Indian  jaws  tougher ;    the  dishes 
were  gigantic,  but  the  stomachs  were  capacious  ;   so  that 
ere  long  numerous  skeletons  and,  emp  y  dishes  alone 
graced  the  board.     One  old  woman,  of  a  dai'k-brown 
complexion,  with  glittering  black  eyes  and  awfully  long 
teeth,  set  up  in  the  wholesale  line,  and  demolished  the 
viands  so  rapidly,  that  those  who  sat  beside  her,  fearing 
a  dearth  in  the  land,  began  to  look  angry ;  fortunately, 
however,  she  gave  in  suddenly,  while  in  the  middle  of  a 
venison  pasty,  and  reclining  languidly  backward,  with  a 
sweetly  contented  expression  of  countenance,  while  her 
breath  came  thickly  through  her  half-opened  mouth,  she 
gently  fell  asleep,  and  thereby,  much  to  her  chagrin,  lost 
the  tea  and  cakes  which  were  served  out  soon  afterwards 
by  way  of  dessert.     When  the  seniors  had  finished,  the 
juveniles  were  admitted  en  masse,  and  they  soon  cleared 
away  the  remnants  of  the  dinner. 


;1 


A  m 


■>  t 


110 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


The  dress  of  the  Indians  upon  this  occasion  was  gen- 
erally blue  cloth  capotes  with  hoods,  scarlet  or  blue  cloth 
leggins,  quill-worked  moccasins,  and  no  caps.  Some  of 
them  were  dressed  very  funnily,  and  one  or  two  of  the 
oldest  appeared  in  blue  surtouts,  which  were  very  ill 
made,  and  much  too  large  for  the  wearers.  The  ladies 
had  short  gowns  without  plaits,  cloth  leggins  of  various 
colors  highly  ornamented  with  beads,  cotton  handker- 
chiefs on  their  necks  and  sometimes  also  on  their  heads. 
The  boys  and  girls  were  just  their  seniors  in  minia- 
ture. 

After  the  youngsters  had  finished  dinner,  the  school- 
room was  cleared  by  the  guests ;  benches  were  ranged 
.along  the  entire  room,  excepting  the  upper  end,  where 
,a  table,  with  two  large  candlesticks  at  either  end,  served 
.as  a  stage  for  the  young  actors.  When  all  was  arranged, 
the  elder  Indians  seated  themselves  on  the  benches,  while 
•the  boys  and  girls  ranged  themselves  along  the  wall 
behind  the  table.  Mr.  Evans  then,  began,  by  causing  a 
little  boy  about  four  years  old  to  recite  a  long  comical 
piece  of  prose  in  Engli.sh.  Having  been  well  drilled  for 
weeks  beforehand,  he  did  it  in  the  most  laughable  style. 
Then  came  forward  four  little  girls,  who  kept  up  an  ani- 
mated philosophical  discussion  as  to  the  diflference  of  the 
.days  in  the  moon  and  on  the  earth.  Then  a  bigger  boy 
jnade  a  long  speech  in  the  Seauteaux  language,  at  which 
the  Indians  laughed  immensely,  and  with  which  the  white 
people  present  (who  did  not  understand  a  word  of  it)  ap- 
peared to  be  greatly  delighted,  and  laughed  loudly  too. 
Then  the  whole  of  the  little  band,  upon  a  sign  being  given 
by  Mr.  Evans,  burst  at  once  into  a  really  beautiful  hymn, 
which  was  quite  unexpected,  and  consequently  all  the 
more  gratifying.    This  concluded  the  examination,  if  I 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


Ill 


may  so  call  it ;  and  after  a  short  prayer  the  Indians  de- 
parted to  their  homes,  highly  delighted  with  'their  enter- 
tainment. Such  was  the  Christmas  feast  at  Kossville,  and 
many  a  laugh  it  afforded  us  that  night  as  we  returned 
home  across  the  frozen  lake  by  the  pale  moonlight. 

Norway  House  is  perhaps  one  of  the  best  posts  in  the 
Indian  country.  The  climate  is  dry  and  salubrious ;  and 
although  (like  nearly  all  the  other  parts  of  the  country) 
extremely  cold  in  winter,  it  is  very  different  from  the 
damp,  c' lining  cold  of  that  season  in  Great  Britain.  The 
country  arouind.  is  swampy  and  rocky,  and  covered  with 
dense  forests.  Many  of  th'e  Company's  post  are  but  ill 
provided  with  the  necessaries  of  life,  and  entirely  des- 
titute of  luxuries.  Norway  House,  however,  is  favored 
in  this  respect.  "We  always  had  fresh  meat  of  some 
kind  or  other ;  sometimes  beef,  mutton,  or  venison,  and 
occasionally  buffalo  meat,  was  sent  us  from  the  Swan 
River  district.  Of  tea,  sugar,  butter,  and  bread,  we  had 
more  than  enough ;  and  besides  the  produce  of  our  garden 
in  the  way  of  vegetables,  the  river  and  lake  contributed 
white-fish,  sturgeon,  and  pike,  or  jack-fish,  in  abundance. 
The  pike  is  not  a  delicate  fish,  and  the  sturgeon  is  ex- 
tremely coarse,  but  the*  wWte-fish  is  the  most  delicate 
and  delicious  I  ever  ate.  I  am  not  aware  of  their  exis- 
tence in  any  part  of  the  Old  World ;  but  the  North 
American  lakes  abound  with  them.  It  is  generally  the 
siee  of  a  good  salmon  trout,  of  a  bright  silvery  color, 
and  tastes  a  little  like  salmon.  Many  hundreds  of  fur 
traders  live  almost  entirely  on  white-fish,  particularly  at 
those  far  northern  posts  where  flour,  sugar,  and  tea  can- 
not be  had  in  great  quantities,  and  where  deer  are 
scarce.  At  these  posts  the  Indians  are  frequently  re- 
duced to  cannibalism,  and  the  Company's  people  have,  on 


■i 


V\: 


t. ;    I 


1    (; 


ii-ii 


!  Hlr 


til 


vn   ■  ■ 
h  if 


J  f  ,  !l 


liif^ 


112 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


more  than  one  occasion,  been  obliged  to  eat  their  beavei*- 
skins  !  The  beaver-skin  is  thick  and  oily  ;  so  that,  when 
the  fur  is  burnt  off,  and  the  skin  well  boiled,  it  makes  a 
kind  of  soup  that  will  at  least  keep  one  alive.  Star- 
vation is  quite  common  among  the  Indians  of  those  dis- 
tant regions ;  and  the  scraped  rocks,  divested  of  their 
covering  of  tripe-de-roche,  (which  resembles  dried-up  sea- 
weed,) have  a  sad  meaning  and  melancholy  appearance 
to  the  traveller  who  journeys  through  the  wilds  and  soli- 
tudes of  Rupert's  Land. 

Norway  House  is  also  an  agreeable  and  interesting 
placi?,  from  its  being  in  a  manner  the  gate  to  the  only 
route  to  Hudson's  Bay ;  so  that,  during  the  spring  and 
summer  months,  all  the  brigades  of  boats  and  canoes  from 
every  part  of  the  northern  department  must  necessarily 
pass  it  on  their  way  to  York  Factory  with  furs  ;  and  as 
they  all  return  in  the  autumn,  and  some  of  the  gentle- 
men leave  their  wives  and  families  for  a  few  weefes  till 
they  return  to  the  interioi,  it  is  at  this  sunny  season  of 
the  year  quite  gay  and  bustling ;  and  the  clerks'  house, 
in  which  I  lived,  was  often  filled  with  a  strange  and  noisy 
collection  of  human  beings,  who  rested  here  awhile  ere 
they  started  for  the  s'hores  df  Hudson's  Bay,  for  the  dis- 
tant regions  of  Mackenzie's  River,  or  the  still  more  dis- 
tant land  of  Oregon. 

During  winter  our  principal  amusement  was  white- 
partridge  shooting.  This  bird  is  a  species  of  ptarmigan, 
and  is  pure  white,  with  the  exception  of  the  tips  of  the 
wings  and  tail.  Th'^y  were  very  numerous  during  the 
winter,  and  formed  an  agreeable  dish  at  our  mess-table. 
I  also  enjoyed  a  little  skating  at  the  beginning  of  the 
winter,  but  the  falling  snow  soon  put  an  end  to  this 
amusement. 


/ 


4 

i 


iJi: 


HUDSON'S  Say. 


113 


Spring,  beautiful  spring !  returned  again  to  cheer  us 
in  our  solitude,  and  to  open  into  life  the  waters  and 
streams  of  Hudson's  Bay.  Great  will  be  the  difference 
between  the  reader's  idea  of  that  season  in  that  place, 
and  the  reality.  Spring,  with  its  fresh  green  leaves  and 
opening  flowers,  its  emerald  fields  and  shady  groves, 
filled  with  sounds  of  melody !  No,  reader,  that  is  not 
the  spring  we  depict.  Not  quite  so  beautiful,  though  far 
more  prized  by  those  who  spend  a  monotonous  winter  of 
more  than  six  months  in  solitude.  The  sun  shines 
brightly  in  a  cloudless  sky,  lighting  up  the  pure  white 
fields  and  plains  with  dazzling  brilliancy.  The  gush- 
ing waters  of  a  thousand  rills,  formed  by  the  melting 
snow,  break  sweetly  on  the  ear,  like  the  well-remembered 
voice  of  a  long-absent  friend.  The  whistling  wings  of 
wild-fowl,  as  they  ever  and  anon  desert  the  pools  of  water 
now  open  in  the  lake,  and  hurry  over  the  forest-trees, 
accord  well  with  the  shrill  cry  of  the  yellow-leg  and 
curlew,  and  with  the  general  wildness  of  the  scene ; 
while  the  reviving  frogs  chirrup  gladly  in  the  swamps, 
to  see  the  breaking  up  of  winter,  and  welcome  back  the 
spring.  This  is  the  spring  I  write  of;  and  to  have  a 
correct  idea  of  the  beauties  and  the  sweetness  of  this 
spring,  you  must  first  spend  a  winter  in  Hudson's  Bay. 

As  I  said,  then,  spring  returned.  The  ice  melted^ 
floated  ofi^,  and  vanished.  Jack  River  flowed  gently  ott 
its  way,  as  if  it  had  never  gone  to  sleep,  and  the  lake 
rolled  and  tumbled  on  its  shores,  as  if  to  congratulate 
them  on  the  happy  change.  Soon  the  boats  began  to 
arrive  ;  first  came  the  "  Portage  Brigade,"  in  charge  of 
L'Esperance  ;  there  were  seven  or  eight  boats ;  and,  ere 
long,  as  many  fires  burned  on  the  green  beside  the  fort, 
with  a  merry,  careless  band  of  wild-looking   Canadiaa 


•■  'i\ 


'^ 


il 


\\ 


■m 


f  : 


114 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


"f   • 


i.  >-  i, 


and  half-breed  voyageurs  round  each — and  a  more  pic- 
turesque set  of  fellows  I  never  saw.  They  were  all 
dressed  out  in  new  light-blue  capotes  and  corduroy  trou- 
sers, which  they  tied  at  the  knee  with  beadwork  gaiters. 
Moose-skin  moccasins  cased  their  feet,  and  their  brawny 
sunburnt  necks  were  bare ;  a  scarlet  belt  encircled  the 
waist  of  each ;  and  while  some  wore  hats  with  gaudy 
feathers,  others  had  their  heads  adorned  with  caps  and 
bonnets,  surrounded  with  gold  and  silver  tinsel  hat-cords. 
A  few,  however,  despising  coats,  travelled  in  blue  and 
white  striped  shirts,  and  trusted  to  their  thickly  matted 
hair  to  guard  them  from  the  rain  and  sun.  They  were 
truly  a  wild  yet  handsome  set  of  men  ;  and  no  one, 
when  gazing  on  their  happy  faces  as  they  lay  or  stood 
in  careless  attitudes  round  the  fires,  puffing  clouds  of 
smoke  from  their  ever-burning  pipes,  would  have  be- 
lieved that  these  men  had  left  their  wives  and  families 
but  the  week  before,  to  start  on  a  five  months'  voyage 
of  the  most  harassing  description,  fraught  with  the 
dangers  of  the  boiling  cataracts  and  foaming  rapids  of 
the  interior. 

They  stopped  at  Norway  House  on  their  way,  to  re- 
ceive the  outfit  of  goods  for  the  Indian  trade  of  Atha- 
basca, (one  of  the  interior  districts,)  and  were  then  to- 
start  for  Portage  La  Loche ;  a  place  where  the  whole 
cargoes  are  carried  on  the  men's  shoulders  overland,  for 
twelve  miles,  to  the  head  waters  of  another  river,  whei<e 
the  traders  from  the  northern  posts  come  to  meet  them  ; 
and,  taking  the  goods,  give  in  exchange  the  "  returns  "  in 
furs  of  the  district.  ^ . 

Next  came  old  Mr.  Mottle,  with  his  brigade  of  five 
boats  from  Isle  a  la  Crosse,  one  of  the  interior  districts  ;  ^ 
and  soon  another  set  of  camp  fires  burned  on  the  green. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


115 


in 


and  the  clerks'  house  received  another  occupant.  After 
them  came  the  Red  River  brigades  in  quick  succession  : 
careful,  funny,  uproarious  Mr.  Mott,  on  his  way  to  York 
for  goods  expected  by  the  ship,  (for  you  must  know  Mr. 
Mott  keeps  a  store  in  Red  River,  and  is  a  man  of  some 
importance  in  the  colony ;)  and  grasping,  comical,  close- 
fisted  Mr.  Macdear,  and  quiet  Mr.  Sink,  all  passing  on- 
wards to  the  sea — rendering  Norway  House  quite  lively 
for  a  time,  and  then  leaving  it  silent ;  but  not  for  long, 
as  the  Saskatchewan  brigade,  under  the  charge  of  chief 
trader  Harrit  and  young  Mr.  Polly,  suddenly  arrived, 
and  filled  the  whole  country  with  noise  and  uproar.  The 
Saskatchewan  brigade  is  the  largest  and  most  noisy  that 
halts  at  Norway  House.  It  generally  numbers  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  boats,  filled  with  the  wildest  men  in  the 
service.  They  come  from  the  prairies  and  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  are  consequently  brimful  of  stories  of  the  buf- 
falo hunt,  attacks  upon  grizzly  bears  and  wild  Indians ; 
some  of  them  interesting  and  true  enough,  but  most  of 
them  either  tremendous  exaggerations,  or  altogether  in- 
ventions of  their  own  wild  fancies. 

Soon  after,  the  light  canoes  arrived  from  Canada,  and 
in  them  an  assortment  of  raw  material  for  the  service,  in 
the  shape  of  four  or  five  green  young  men. 

The  clerks'  house  now  became  crammed ;  the  quiet 
elderly  folks,  who  had  continued  to  fret  at  its  noisy  oc- 
cupants, fled  in  despair  to  another  house,  and  thereby 
left  room  for  the  new-comers,  or  greenhorns,  as  they 
were  elegantly  styled  by  their  more  knowing  fellow- 
clerks. 

Now,  indeed,  the  corner  of  the  fort  in  which  we  lived 
was  avoided  by  all  quiet  people,  as  if  it  were  smitten 
with  the  plague ;  while  the  loud  laugh,  uproarious  song, 


I  1 


t  •,' 


Mi 


^, 


116 


HUDSON'S   BAY. 


^1 


and  sounds  of  the  screeching  flute  or  scraping  fiddle, 
issued  from  the  open  doors  and  windows,  frightening 
away  the  very  mosquitos,  and  making  roof  and  rafters 
ring.  Suddenly  a  dead  silence  would  ensue,  and  then  it 
was  conjectured  by  the  knowing  ones  of  the  place  that 
Mr.  Polly  was  coming  out  strong  for  the  benefit  of  the 
new  arrivals.  Mr.  Polly  had  a  pleasant  way  of  getting 
the  green  ones  round  him,  and,  by  detailing  some  of  the 
wild  scores  and  incidents  of  his  voyages  in  the  Sas- 
katchewan, of  leading  them  on  from  truth  to  exaggera- 
tion, and  from  that  to  fanciful  composition,  wherein  I 
would  detail,  with  painful  minuteness,  all  the  horrors 
of  Indian  warfare,  and  the  improbability  of  any  one  who 
entered  those  dreadful  regions  ever  returning  alive  ! 

Norway  House  was  now  indeed  in  full  blow ;  and  many 
a  happy  hour  did  T  spend  upon  one  of  the  clerk's  beds, 
every  inch  of  which  was  generally  occupied,  listening  to 
the  story  or  the  song.  The  young  men  there  assembled 
had  arrived  from  the  distant  quarters  of  America,  and 
some  of  them  even  from  England.  Some  were  in  the 
prime  of  manhood,  and  had  spent  many  years  in  the  In- 
dian country ;  some  were  beginning  to  scrape  the  down 
from  their  still  soft  chins ;  while  others  were  boys  of  four- 
teen, who  had  just  left  home,  and  were  listening  for  the 
first  time,  open-mouthed,  to  their  seniors'  description  of  life 
in  the  wilderness. 

Alas !  how  soon  were  those  happy,  careless  young 
fellows  to  separate ;  and  how  little  probability  was  there 
of  their  ever  meeting  again  !  A  sort  of  friendship  had 
sprung  up  among  three  of  us ;  many  a  happy  hour  had 
we  spent  in  rambling  among  the  groves  and  woods  of 
Norway  House ;  now  ranging  about  in  search  of  wild 
pigeons,  anon  splashing  and  tumbling  in  the  clear  waters 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


117 


of  the  lake,  or  rowing  over  its  surface  in  a  light  canoe  ; 
while  our  inexperienced  voices  filled  the  woods  with 
snatches  of  the  wild  yet  plain  i  songs  of  the  voyageursy 
which  we  had  just  begun  to  learn.  Often  had  we  lain  on 
our  little  pallet  in  Bachelors'  Hall,  recounting  to  each 
other  our  adventures  in  the  wild  woods,  or  recalling  the 
days  of  our  childhood,  and  making  promises  of  keeping 
up  a  steady  correspondence  through  all  our  separations, 
difficulties,  and  dangers. 

A  year  passed  away,  and  at  last  I  got  a  letter  from  one 
of  my  friends,  dated  from  the  Arctic  regions,  near  the 
mouth  of  Mackenzie's  Kiver;  the  other  wrote  to  me 
from  among  the  snow-clad  caps  of  the  Rocky  Mountains ; 
while  I  addressed  them  from  the  swampy  ice-begirt  shores 
of  Hudson's  Bay. 

In  the  Saskatchewan  brigade  two  young  bisons  were 
conveyed  to  York  Factory,  for  the  purpose  of  being 
shipped  for  England  in  the  Pnnce  Rupert.  They  were  a 
couple  of  the  wildest  little  wretches  I  ever  saw,  and  were 
a  source  of  great  annoyance  to  the  men  during  the  voy- 
age. The  way  they  were  taken  was  odd  enough,  and  I 
shall  here  describe  it. 

In  the  Saskatchewan  the  chief  food  both  of  white  men 
and  Indians  is  buffalo  meat,  so  that  parties  are  constantly 
sent  out  to  hunt  the  buffalo.  They  generally  chase  them 
on  horseback,  the  country  being  mostly  prairie  land,  and, 
when  they  get  close  enough,  shoot  them  with  guns.  The 
Indians,  however,  shoot  them  oftener  with  the  bow  and 
arrow,  as  they  prefer  keeping  their  powder  and  shot  for 
warfare.  They  are  very  expert  with  the  bow,  v;hich  is 
short  and  strong,  and  can  easily  send  an  arrow  quite 
through  a  buffalo  at  twenty  yards  off".  One  of  these  par- 
ties, then,  was  ordered  to  procure  two  calves  alive,  if  pos- 


i! 


51 

1  ? 


'  i 


llil 


m 


J'l' 


118 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


4^1" 


Biili 


sible,  and  lead  them  to  the  Company's  establishment. 
This  they  succeeded  in  doing,  in  the  following  manner : — 
Upon  meeting  with  a  herd,  they  all  set  off  full  gallop  in 
chase ;  away  went  the  startled  animals  at  a  round  trot, 
which  soon  increased  to  a  gallop  as  the  horsemen  neared 
them,  and  a  shot  or  two  told  that  they  were  coming 
within  range.  Soon  the  shots  became  more  numerous, 
and  here  and  there  a  black  spot  on  the  prairie  told  where 
a  buffalo  had  fallen.  No  slackening  of  the  pace  occurred, 
however,  as  each  hunter,  upon  killing  an  animal,  merely 
threw  down  his  cap  or  mitten  to  mark  it  as  his  own,  and 
continued  in  pursuit  of  the  herd,  loading  his  gun  as  he 
galloped  along.  The  buffalo  hunters,  by  the  way,  are 
very  expert  at  loading  and  firing  quickly  while  going  at 
full  gallop.  They  carry  two  or  three  bullets  in  their 
mouths,  which  they  spit  into  the  muzzles  of  their  guns 
after  dropping  in  a  little  powder,  and  instead  of  ramming 
it  down  with  a  rod,  merely  hit  the  butt-end  of  the  gun 
on  the  pommel  of  their  saddles,  and  in  this  way  fire  a 
great  many  shots  in  quick  succession.  This,  however,  is 
a  dangerous  moJ^  of  shooting,  as  the  ball  sometimes 
sticks  half-way  down  the  barrel  and  bursts  the  gun,  carry- 
ing away  a  finger,  and  occasionally  a  hand. 

In  this  way  they  soon  killed  as  many  buffaloes  as  they 
could  carry  in  their  carts,  and  one  of  the  hunters  set  off 
in  chase  of  a  calf.  In  a  short  time  he  edged  one  away 
from  the  rest,  and  then,  getting  bet*veen  it  and  the  herd, 
ran  straight  against  it  with  his  horse  and  knocked  it 
down.  The  frightened  little  animal  jumped  up  again 
and  set  off  with  redoubled  speed,  but  another  butt  from 
the  horse  again  sent  it  sprawling ;  again  it  rose,  and  was 
again  knocked  down  ;  and  in  this  way  was  at  last  fairly 
tired  out;  when  the  hunter,  jumping  suddenly  from  his 


HUDSU 


B\T. 


119 


horse,  threw  a  rope  rouiui         neck,  u   >[  drovf  it  before 
him  to  the  encampment,  ami  jjoon  atl«      hroii^l     i$  to  tht 
fort.     It  was  as  wild  as  ever  when  I  saw  it         .Vorwa 
House,  and  seemed  to  have  as  much  distaste  i      n  thral 
dom  as  the  day  it  was  taken, 

As  the  summer  advanced,  the  heat  increased,  and  the 
mosquitos  became  perfectly  insupportable.  Nothing 
could  save  one  from  the  attacks  of  these  little  torments. 
Almost  all  other  insects  went  to  rest  with  the  sun :  sand- 
flies, which  bite  viciously  during  the  day,  went  to  sleep 
at  night ;  the  large  bull-dog,  whose  bite  is  terrible,  slum- 
bered in  the  evening ;  but  the  mosquito,  the  long-legged, 
determined,  vicious,  persevering  mosquito,  whose  cease- 
less hum  dwells  forever  on  the  ear,  never  went  to  sleep ! 
Day  and  night,  the  painful,  tender  little  pimples  on  our 
necks  and  behind  our  ears  were  being  constantly  re- 
touched by  these  villanous  flies.  It  was  useless  killing 
thousands  of  them ;  millions  supplied  their  place.  The 
only  thing,  in  fact,  that  can  protect  one  during  the  night 
(nothing  can  during  the  day)  is  a  net  of  gauze  hung 
over  the  bed ;  but  as  this  was  looked  upon  by  the  young 
men 'as  somewhat  effeminate,  it  was  seldom  resorted  to. 
The  best  thing  for  their  destruction,  we  found,  was  to  fill 
our  rooms  with  smoke,  either  by  burning  damp  moss 
or  by  letting  off  large  puffs  of  gunpowder,  and  then 
throwing  the  doors  and  windows  open  to  allow  them  to 
fly  out.  This,  however,  did  not  put  them  all  out ;  so  we 
generally  spent  an  hour  or  so  before  going  to  bed  in 
hunting  them  with  candles.  Even  this  did  not  entirely 
destroy  them;  and  often  might  our  friends,  by  looking 
telescopically  through  the  keyhole,  have  seen  us  wan- 
dering during  the  late  hours  of  the  night  in  our  shirts, 
looking  for  mosquitos,  like   unhappy  ghosts  doomed  to 


:J,i'Hii 


:-\    \ 


120 


HUDSON'S  HAY. 


■I  k 


m\ 


6flll 


■ 


search  perpetually  for  something  they  can  never  fintl. 
The  intense,  suffocating  heat  also  added  greatly  to  our 
discomfort. 

In  fine  weather  I  used  to  visit  my  friend  Mr.  Evans  at 
Rossville,  where  I  had  always  a  hearty  welcome.  I  re- 
member on  one  occasion  being  obliged  to  beg  the  loan  of 
a  canoe  from  an  Indian,  and  having  a  romantic  paddle 
across  part  of  Playgrcen  Lake.  I  had  been  otfercd  a 
passage  in  a  boat  which  was  going  to  Rossville,  but  was 
not  to  return.  Having  nothing  parlicilar  to  do,  however, 
at  the  time,  I  determined  to  take  my  chance  of  finding  a 
return  conveyance  of  some  kind  or  other.  In  due  time  I 
arrived  at  the  parsonage,  where  I  spent  a  pleasant  after- 
noon in  sauntering  about  the  village,  and  in  admiring  the 
rapidity  and  ease  with  which  the  Indian  children  could 
read  and  write  the  Indian  language  by  means  of  a  syllabic 
alphabet  invented  by  their  clergyman.  The  same  gentle- 
man afterwards  made  a  set  of  leaden  types,  with  no  other 
instrument  than  a  penknife,  and  printed  a  great  many 
hymns  in  the  Indian  language. 

In  the  evening  I  began  to  think  of  returning  to  the 
fort,  but  no  boat  or  canoe  could  be  found  small  enough 
to  be  paddled  by  one  man,  and  as  no  one  seemed  inclined 
to  go  with  me,  I  began  to  fear  that  I  should  have  to  re- 
main all  night.  At  last  a  young  Indian  told  me  he  had  a 
•hunting  canoe,  which  I  might  have,  if  I  chose  to  venture 
across  the  lake  in  it,  but  it  was  very  small.  I  instantly 
accepted  his  offer,  and,  bidding  adieu  to  my  friends  at 
the  parsonage,  followed  him  down  to  a  small  creek  over- 
shaded  by  tall  trees,  where,  concealed  among  the  reeds 
and  bushes,  lay  the  canoe.  It  could  not,  I  should  think, 
have  measured  more  than  three  yards  in  length,  by 
inches   in  breadth   at  the   middle,  whence  it 


►eighteen 


,/ 


s . 


lUDSON'S   BAY. 


121 


tapered  at  oifher  end  to  a  thin  edge.  It  was  inu'le  of 
birch  bark  scarce)^  a  (jHuf  I cr  uf  an  inch  thick,  and  h» 
weight  may  bo  imagined,  wlicn  I  *uy  that  the  Indian 
llftijtl  it  from  the  ground  with  unn  hand  aii»i  plac  d  it  in 
the  water,  at  llie  same  time  handing  me  a  small  light 
paddle.  I  stepped  in  with  great  care,  and  the  frail  bark 
trembled  with  my  weight  as  I  seated  myself,  and  j  ushod 
out  into  the  lake.  The  sun  had  just  set,  and  his  cxpir- 
lu'^  rays  cast  a  glare  upon  the  overhanging  clouds  in  the 
west,  whilst  tl  e  shades  of  night  gathered  thickly  over 
the  eastern  horizon.  Not  a  breath  of  wind  disturbed  the 
glassy  smoothness  of  the  water,  in  which  every  golden- 
tinted  cloud  was  mirrored  with  a  fidelity  that  rendered 
it  difficult  to  say  which  was  image  and  which  reality. 
The  little  bark  darted  through  the  water  with  the  grcf. 
est  ease,  and  as  I  passed  among  the  deepening  shadow 
of  the  lofty  pines,  and  across  the  gilded  waters  of  tl- 
bay,  a  wild  enthusiasm  seized  me  ;  I  strained  with  all  my 
strength  upon  the  paddle,  and  the  sparkling  drops  flevv  in 
showers  behind  me  as  the  little  canoe  flew  over  the  water 
more  like  a  phantom  than  a  reality ;  when  suddenly  I 
missed  my  stroke  ;  my  whole  weight  was  thrown  on  one 
side,  the  water  gurgled  over  the  gunwale  of  the  canoe, 
and  my  heart  leaped  to  ray  mouth,  as  I  looked  for  an  in- 
stant into  the  dark  water.  It  was  only  for  a  moment ;  in 
another  instant  the  canoe  righted,  and  I  paddled  the  re- 
mainder of  the  way  in  a  much  more  gentle  manner — 
enthusiasm  gone,  and  a  most  wholesome  degree  of  timid- 
ity pervading  my  entire  frame.  It  was  dark  when  I 
reached  the  fort,  and  upon  landing  I  took  the  canoe  under 
my  arm  and  carried  it  up  the  bank  with  nearly  as  much 
ease  as  if  it  had  been  a  camp-stool. 

When  the  day  was  warm  and  the  sun  bright — when 


( ( 


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122 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


the  sky  was  clear  and  the  water  blue — when  the  air  was 
motionless,  and  the  noise  of  arrivals  and  departures  had 
ceased — when  work  was  at  a  stand,  and  we  enjoyed  the 
felicity  of  having  nothing  to  do,  Mr.  Russ  and  I  used  to 
saunter  down  to  the  water's  edge  to  have  an  hour  or  two's 
fishing.  The  fish  we  fished  for  were  goldeyes,  and  the 
manner  of  our  fishing  was  this  : — 

Pausing  occasionally  as  we  walked  along,  one  of  us 
might  be  observed  to  bend  in  a  watchful  manner  over  the 
grass,  and,  gradually  assuming  the  position  of  a  quad- 
ruped, fall  plump  upon  his  hands  and  knees.  Having 
achieved  this  feat,  he  would  rise  with  a  grasshopper 
between  his  finger  and  thumb  ;  a  tin  box  being  then  held 
open  by  the  other,  the  unlucky  insect  was  carefully  intro- 
duced to  the  interior,  and  the  lid  closed  sharply — some 
such  remark  attending  each  capture  as  that  "  That  one 
was  safe,"  or,  "  There  went  another  ;  "  and  the  mystery 
of  the  whole  proceeding  being  explained  by  the  fact,  that 
these  same  incarcerated  grasshoppers  were  intended  to 
form  the  bait  with  which  we  trusted  to  beguile  the  unwary 
goldeyes  to  their  fate. 

Having  arrived  at  the  edge  of  the  place  where  we 
usually  fished,  each  drew  from  a  cleft  in  the  rock  a  stout* 
branch  of  a  tree,  around  the  Qnd  of  which  was  wound  a 
bit  of  twine  with  a  large  hook  attached  to  it.  This  we* 
unwound  quickly,  and  after  impaling  a  live  grasshopper 
upon  the  barbs  of  our  respective  hooks,  dropped  them 
into  the  water,  and  gazed  intently  at  the  lines.  Mr.  Buss, 
who  was  a  great  lover  of  angling,  now  began  to  get  ex- 
cited, and  made  several  violent  pulls  fat  the  \me,  under 
the  impression  that  something  had  bitten.  Suddenly  his 
rod,  stout  as  it  was,  bent  with  the  immense  muscular 
force   g.pplied  to  it,  and  a  small  goldeye,  about  three  or 


I! 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


123 


four  inches  long,  flashed  like  an  electric  spark  from  the 
water,  and  fell  with  bursting  force  on  the  rocks  behind,  at 
the  very  feet  of  a  small  Indian  boy,  who  sat  nearly  in  a 
state  of  nature,  watching  our  movements  from  among  the 
bushes.  The  litile  captive  was  of  a  bright  silvery  color, 
with  a  golden  eye,  and  is  an  excellent  fish  for  breakfast. 
The  truth  o:  the  proverb,  "  It  never  rains  but  it  pours, " 
was  soon  verified  by  the  immense  number  of  goldeyes  of 
every  size,  from  one  foot  to  four  inches,  which  we  show- 
ered into  the  bushes  behind  us.  Two  or  three  dozen  were 
cau  ^ht  in  a  few  minutes,  and  at  last  we  began  to  get  quite 
exhausted,  and  Mr.  Russ  proposed  going  up  to  the  house 
for  his  new  fly-rod,  by  way  of  diversifying  the  sport,  and 
rendering  it  more  scientific. 

Down  he  came  again  in  a  few  minutes,  with  a  splen- 
didly varnished,  extremely  slim  rod,  with  an  invisible  line 
and  an  aerial  fly.  This  instrument  was  soon  put  up,  and 
Mr.  Russ,  letting  out  six  fathoms  of  line,  stood  erect,  and 
making  a  splendid  heave,  caught  the  Indian  boy  by  the 
hair!  This  was  an  embarrassing  commencement;  but 
being  an  easy,  good-natured  man,  he  only  frowned  the  boy 
out  of  countenance,  and  shortened  his  line.  The  next 
cast  was  more  successful ;  the  line  swept  gracefully 
through  the  air,  and  fell  in  a  series  of  elegant  circles  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  rock  on  which  he  stood.  Goldeyes, 
however,  are  not  particular ;  and  ere  he  could-  draw  the 
line  straight,  a  very  large  one  dai  ted  at  the  fly,  and  swal- 
lowed it.  The  rod  bent  into  a  beautiful  oval  as  Mr.  Russ 
made  a  futile  attempt  to  whip  the  fish  over  his  head,  ac- 
cording to  custom,  and  the  line  straightened  with  fearful 
rigidity  as  the  fish  began  to  pull  for  its  life.  The  fisher 
became  energetic,  and  the  fish  impatient,  but  there  was 
no  prospect  of  its  ever  being  landed ;  till  at  last,  having 


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124 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


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got  his  rod  inextricably  entangled  among  the  neighboring 
bushes,  he  let  it  fall,  and  most  unscientifically  hauled  the 
fish  out  by  the  line,  exclaiming,  in  the  bitterness  of  his 
heart,  "  that  rods  were  contemptible  childish  things,  and 
that  a  stout  branch  of  a  tree  was  the  rod  for  him."  This, 
last  essay  seemed  to  have  frightened  all  the  rest  away, 
lor  not  another  bite  did  we  get  after  that. 

Towards  the  beginning  of  June,  1843,  orders  arrived 
from  head  quarters,  appointing  me  to  spend  the  approach- 
ing winter  at  York  Factory,  the  place  where  I  had  first 
pressed  American  soil.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the 
joy  with  which  I  received  the  news.  Whether  it  was 
my  extreme  fondness  for  travelling,  or  the  mere  love  of 
change,  I  cannot  tell,  but  it  had  certainly  the  eflfect  of 
affording  me  immense  delight,  and  I  set  about  making 
preparation  for  the  journey  immediately.  The  arrival 
of  the  canoes  from  Canada  was  to  be  the  signal  for  my 
departure,  and  I  looked  forward  to  their  appearance  with 
great  impatience. 

In  a  few  days  the  canoes  arrived,  and  on  the  4th  of 
June,  1843, 1  started,  in  company  with  several  other  gen- 
tlemen, in  two  north  canoes.  These  light,  graceful  craft 
were  about  thirty-six  feet  long,  by  from  five  to  six  broad, 
and  were  capable  of  containing  eight  men  and  three  pas- 
sengers. They  were  made  entirely  of  birch  bark,  and 
gaudily  painted  on  the  bow  and  stern.  In  these  fairy- 
like boats,  then,  we  swept  swiftly  over  Playgreen  Lake, 
the  bright  vermilion  paddles  glancing  in  the  sunshine, 
and  the  woods  echoing  to  the  lively  tune  of  A  la  claire 
fontaine,  sung  by  the  two  crews  in  full  chorus.  We  soon 
left  Norway  House  far  behind  us,  and  ere  long  were 
rapidly  descending  the  streams  that  flow  through  the 
forests  of  the  interior  into  Hudson's  Bay. 


^ 

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HUDSON'S  BAY. 


125 


While  running  one  of  the  numerous  rapids  with  which 
these  rivers  abound,  our  canoe  struck  upon  a  rock,  which 
tore  a  large  hole  in  its  side.  Fortunately  the  accident 
happened  close  to  the  shore,  and  nearly  at  the  usual 
breakfasting  hour ;  so  that  while  some  of  the  men  re- 
paired the  damages,  which  they  did  in  half  an  hour, 
we  employed  ourselves  agreeably  in  demolishing  a  huge 
ham,  several  slices  of  bread,  and  a  cup  or  two  of  strong 
tea. 

This  was  the  only  event  worth  relating  that  happened 
to  us  during  the  voyage ;  and  as  canoe-travelling  is  en- 
larged upon  in  another  chapter,  we  will  jump  at  once  to 
the  termination  of  our  journey. 


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HUDSON'S  BAY. 


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CHAPTER   VITI. 

YORK  FACTORY— WINTER  AMUSEMENTS,  ETC.  i 

ARE  you  ambitious,  reader,  of  dwelling  in  a  "  pleasant 
cot  in  a  tranquil  spot,  with  a  distant  view  of  the  chang- 
ing sea  ?  "  If  so,  do  not  go  to  York  Factory.  Not  that 
it  is  such  an  unpleasant  place — for  I  spent  two  years  very 
happily  there — but  simply  (to  give  a  poetical  reason,  and 
explain  its  character  in  one  sentence)  because  it  is  a 
monstrous  blot  on  a  swampy  spot,  with  a  partial  view  of 
the  frozen  sea ! 

First  impressions  are  generally  incorrect ;  and  I  have 
little  doubt  that  your  first  impression  is,  that  a  "  mon- 
strous blot  on  a  swampy  spot "  cannot  by  any  possibility 
be  an  agreeable  place.  To  dispel  this  impression  and  at 
the  same  time  to  enl;~!iten  you  with  regard  to  a  variety 
of  facts  with  which  you  are  probably  unacquainted,  I 
shall  describe  York  Factory  as  graphically  as  may  be. 
An  outline  of  its  general  appearance  has  been  already 
given  in  a  former  chapter,  so  I  will  now  proceed  to  par- 
ticularize the  buildings.  The  principal  edifice  is  the 
"  general  store,"  where  the  goods,  to  the  amount  of  two 
years'  outfit  for  the  whole  northern  department,  are 
stored.  On  each  side  of  this  is  a  long,  low,  whitewashed 
house,  with  green  edgings,  in  one  of  which  visitors  and 
temporary  residents  during  the  summer  are  quartered. 
The  other  is  the  summer  mess-room.  Four  roomy  fur 
stores  stand  at  right  angles  to  these  houses,  thus  fori 


g 


7 


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HUDSON'S  BAY. 


127 


three  sides  of  the  front  square.  Behind  these  stands  a 
row  of  smaller  buildings  for  the  laborers  and  tradesmen  ; 
and  on  the  right  hand  is  the  dwelling-house  of  the  gentle- 
man in  charge,  and  adjoining  it  the  clerks'  house,  while 
on  the  left  are  the  provision-store  and  Indian  trading- 
shop.  A  few  insignificant  buildings,  such  as  the  oil-store 
and  lumber-house,  intrude  themselves  here  and  there  ; 
and  on  the  right  a  tall  ungainly  outlook  rises  in  the  air, 
affording  the  inhabitants  an  extensive  view  of  their  wild 
domains  ;  and  just  beside  it  stands  the  icehouse.  This 
latter  building  is  filled  every  spring  with  blocks  of  solid 
ice  of  about  three  feet  square,  which  do  not  melt  during 
the  short  but  intensely  hot  summei".  The  inhabitants  are 
thus  enabled  to  lay  up  a  store  of  fresh  meat  for  summer 
use,  which  lasts  them  till  about  the  commencement  of 
winter.  The  lower  stratum  of  ice  in  this  house  never 
melts  ;  nor,  indeed,  does  the  soil  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try, which  only  thaws  to  the  depth  of  a  few  feet,  the  sub 
soil  being  perpetually  frozen. 

The  climate  of  York  Factory  is  very  bad  in  the  warm 
months  of  the  year,  but  during  the  winter  the  intensity 
of  the  cold  renders  it  healthy.  Summer  is  very  short ; 
and  the  whole  three  seasons  of  spring,  summer,  and 
autumn  are  included  in  the  months  of  June,  July,  Au- 
gust, and  September — the  rest  being  winter. 

During  part  of  summer  the  heat  is  extreme,  and  mil- 
lions of  flies,  mosquitos,  &c.,  render  the  country  unbear- 
able. Fortunately,  however,  the  cold  soon  e^^tirpates 
them.  Scarcely  anything  in  the  way  of  vegetables  can 
be  raised  in  the  small  spot  of  ground  called  by  courtesy 
a  garden.  Potatoes  one  }ear,  for  a  wonder,  attained  the 
size  of  walnuts ;  and  sometimes  a  cabbage  and  a  turnip 
are  prevailed  upon  to  grow.    Yet  the  woods  are  filled 


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128 


HUDSON'S  DAY. 


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with  a  great  variety  of  wild  berries,  among  which  the 
cranberry  and  swampberry  are  considered  the  best. 
Black  and  red  currants,  as  well  as  gooseberries,  are 
plentiful,  but  the  first  are  bitter,  and  the  last  small.  The 
swampberry  is  in  shape  something  like  the  raspberry,  of 
a  light  yellow  color,  and  grows  on  a  low  bush,  aimost 
close  to  the  ground.  They  make  excellent  preserves, 
and,  together  with  cranberries,  are  made  into  tarts  for 
the  mess  during  winter. 

In  the  month  of  September  there  are  generally  a 
couple  of  weeks  or  so  of  extremely  fine  weather,  which 
is  called  the  Indian  summer ;  after  which  winter,  with 
frost,  cold,  and  ^now,  sets  in  with  rapidity.  For  a  few 
weeks  in  October  there  is  sometimes  a  little  warm 
weather  (or  rather,  I  should  say,  a  little  thawy  weather), 
but  after  that,  until  the  following  April,  the  thermometer 
seldom  rises  to  the  freezing-point.  In  the  depth  of  win- 
ter it  falls  from  30  to  40,  45,  and  even  50  degrees  below 
zero  of  Fahrenheit.  This  intense  cold,  however,  is  not 
so  much  felt  as  one  might  suppose,  as  during  its  continu- 
ance the  air  is  perfectly  calm.  Were  the  slightest  breath 
of  wind  to  arise  when  the  thermometer  stands  so  low,  no 
man  could  show  his  face  to  it  for  a  moment.  Forty  de- 
grees below  zero,  and  quite  calm,  is  infinitely  preferable 
to  fifteen  degrees  below,  or  thereabouts,  with  a  strong 
breeze  of  wind.  Spirit  of  wine  is,  of  course,  the  only 
liquid  that  can  be  used  in  the  thermometers,  as  mercury, 
were  it  exposed  to  such  cold,  would  remain  frozen  nearly 
half  the  winter.  Spirit  never  froze  in  any  cold  ever  ex- 
perienced at  York  Factory,  unless  when  very  much 
adulterated  with  water ;  and  even  then  the  spirit  would 
remain  Hquid  in  the  centre  of  the  mass.*  ^ 

*  Quicksilver  easily  freezes ;  and  it  has  frequently  been  run  into  a 


he 

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for 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


129 


To  resist  this  intense  cold  the  inhabitants  dress,  not  in 
furs,  as  is  generally  supposed,  but  in  coats  and  trousers 
made  of  smoked  deer-skins;  the  only  piece  of  fur  in 
their  costume  being  the  cap.  The  houses  are  built  of 
wood,  with  double  windows  and  doors.  They  are  heated 
by  means  of  large  iron  stoves,  fed  with  wood  ;  yet  so  in- 
tense is  the  cold,  that  I  have  seen  the  stc  ve  in  places  red- 
hot,  and  a  basin  of  water  in  the  room  frozen  nearly  solid. 
The  average  cold,  I  should  think,  is  about  15  or  16  de- 
grees below  zero,  or  48  degrees  of  frost.  The  country 
around  is  a  complete  swamp,  but  the  extreme  shortness 
of  the  warm  weather,  and  the  consequent  length  of  win- 
ter, fortunately  prevents  the  rapid  decomposition  of  veg- 
etable matter.  Another  cause  of  the  unhealthiness  of 
the  climate  durikj  summer  is  the  prevalence  of  dense 
fogs,  which  come  off  the  bay  and  enshroud  the  country, 
and  also  the  liability  of  the  weather  to  sudden  and  ex- 
treme changes.  * 

Summer  may  be  said  to  commence  in  July,  the  preced- 
ing month  being  a  fight  between  summer  and  winter, 
which  cannot  claim  the  slightest  title  to  the  name  of 
spring.  As  August  advances  the  heat  becomes  great; 
but  about  the  commencement  of  September  nature  wears 
a  more  pleasing  aspect,  which  lasts  till  the  middle  of 
October.  It  is  then  clear  and  beautiful,  just  cold  enough 
to  kill  all  the  mosquitos,  and  render  brisk  exercise 
agreeable.  About  this  time,  too,  the  young  ducks  begin 
to  fly  south,  affording  excellent  sport  among  the  marshes. 
A  week  or  so  after  this  winter  commences,  with  light 
falls  of  snow  occasionally,  and  hard  frost  during  the  night. 

bullet  mould,  exposed  to  the  cold  air  till  frozen,  and  in  this  state 
rammed  down  a  gunbarrei,  and  fired  through  a  thick  plank. 
*  See  Table  on  next  page. 

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Floclts  of  snow-birds  (the  harbingers  of  cold  in  autumn, 
and  heat  in  spring)  begin  to  appear,  and  soon  the  whir- 
ring wings  of  the  white  partridge  may  be  heard  among 
the  .snow-encompassed  willows.  The  first  tl'aw  generally 
takes  place  in  April,  and  May  is  characterized  by  melt- 
ing siiow,  disruption  of  ice,  and  the  arrival  of  the  first 
flocks  of  wild-fowl. 

The  country  around  the  fort  is  one  immense  level 
swamp,  thickly  covered  with  willows,  and  dotted  hcrp  and 
there  with  a  few  clumps  of  pine-trees.  The  only  large 
timber  in  the  vicinity  grows  on  the  banks  of  Hayes  and 
Nelson  Rivers,  and  consists  chiefly  of  spruce  fir.  The 
swampy  nature  of  the  ground  has  rendered  it  necessary 
to  raise  the  houses  in  the  fort  several  feet  in  the  air  upon 
blocks  of  wood,  and  the  squares  are  intersected  by  ele- 
vated wooden  platforms,  which  form  the  only  promenade 
the  inhabitants  have  during  the  summer,  as  no  one  can 
venture  fifty  yards  beyond  the  gates  without  wetting  his 
feet.  Nothing  bearing  the  most  distant  resemblance  to  a 
hillock  exists  in  the  land.  Nelson  River  is  a  broad 
stream,  which  discharges  itself  into  Hudson's  Bay,  near 
the  mouth  of  Hayes  River,  between  which  lies  a  belt  of 
swamp  and  willows,  known  by  the  name  of  the  Point  of 
Marsh.  Here  may  be  found,  during  the  spring  and 
autumn,  millions  of  ducks,  geese,  and  plover,  and  during 
the  summer  billions  of  mosquitos.  There  are  a  great 
many  strange  plants  and  shrubs  in  this  marsh,  which 
forms  a  wide  field  of  research  and  pleasure  to  the  bota- 
nist and  the  sportsman ;  but  the  lover  of  beautiful  scenery 
and  the  florist  will  find  little  to  please  the  eye  or  imag- 
ination, as  nature  has  here  put  on  her  plainest  garb,  and 
flowerti  there  are  none. 

Of  the  feathered  tribes  there  are  the  large  and  small 


I 


ill 

'  ri' 


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^!'-i! 


■    *i! 


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182 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


gray  Canada  goose,  the  laughing  gooso  (so  called  from 
the  resemblance  of  its  cry  to  laughter),  and  the  wavie  or 
white  goose.  The  latter  are  not  very  numerous.  There 
are  great  numbers  of  wild-ducks,  pintails,  widgeons,  di- 
vers, sawbills,  black  ducks,  and  teal ;  but  the  prince  of 
ducks  (the  canvasback)  is  not  there.  In  spring  and  au- 
tumn the  whole  country  becomes  musical  with  the  wild 
cries  and  shrill  whistle  of  immense  hosts  of  plover  of  all 
kinds — long  legs,  short  legs,  black  legs,  and  yellow  legs — 
sandpipers  and  snipe,  which  are  assisted  in  their  noisy 
concerts  by  myriads  of  frogs.  The  latter  are  really  the 
best  songsters  in  Hudson's  Bay.*  Bitterns  are  also  found 
in  the  marshes ;  and  sometimes,  though  rarely,  a  solitary 
crane  finds  its  way  to  the  coast.  In  the  woods,  and 
among  the  dry  places  around,  there  are  a  few  gray  grouse 
and  wood  partridges,  a  great  many  hawks,  and  owls  of 
all  sizes,  from  the  gigantic  white  owl,  which  measures 
five  feet  across  the  back  and  wings,  to  the  small  gray 
owl,  not  much  bigger  than  a  man's  hand. 

In  winter  the  woods  and  frozen  swamps  are  filled  with 
ptarmigan,  or,  as  they  are  called  by  the  trappers,  white 
partridges.  They  are  not  very  palatable ;  but,  neverthe- 
less, they  form  a  pretty  constant  dish  at  the  winter  mess- 
table  of  York  Factory,  and  afford  excellent  sport  to  the 
inhabitants.  There  are  also  great  varieties  of  small 
birds,  among  which  the  most  interesting  are  the  snow- 
birds, or  snow-flakes,  which  pay  the  country  a  flying  visit 
at  the  commencement  and  termination  of  winter. 

Such  is  York  Fort,  the  great  depot  and  gate  to  the 

*  The  thousands  of  frogs  that  fill  the  swamps  of  America  whistle 
or  chirp  so  exactly  like  little  birds,  that  many  people,  upon  hearing 
them  for  the  first  time,  have  mistaken  them  for  the  feathered  song- 
sters of  the  groves.  Their  only  fault  is  that  they  scarcely  ever  cease 
singing. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


133 


wild  regions  surronnrling  Hudson's  "Bay.  Having  de- 
scribed its  appearance  and  general  characteristics,  I  shall 
proceed  to  introduce  the  reader  to  my  future  companions, 
and  describe  our  amusements  and  sports  among  the 
marshes. 


BACHELORS     HALL. 


On  the 


of  June,  1843, 1  landed  the  second  time 


on  the  wharf  of  York  Fort,  and  betook  myself  to  Bache- 
lors* Hall,  where  Mr.  Grave,  whom  I  met  by  the  way, 
told  me  to  take  up  my  quarters.  As  I  approached  the 
door  of  the  well-remembered  house,  the  most  tremendous 
uproar  that  ever  was  heard  proceeded  from  within  its 
dingy  walls ;  so  I  jumped  the  paling  that  stood  in  front  of 
the  windows,  and  took  a  peep  at  the  interior  before  intro- 
ducing myself. 

The  scene  that  met  my  eye  was  ludicrous  in  the  ex- 
treme. Mounted  on  a  chair,  behind  a  bedroom  door, 
stood  my  friend  Crusty,  with  a  large  pail  of  water  in  his 
arms,  which  he  raised  cautiously  to  the  top  of  the  door, 
for  the  purpose  of  tilting  it  over  upon  two  fellow-clerks 
who  stood  below,  engaged  in  a  wrestling  match,  little 
dreaming  of  the  cataract  that  was  soon  to  fall  on  their 
devoted  heads ;  at  the  door  of  a  room  opposite  stood  the 
doctor,  grinning  from  ear  to  ear  at  the  thought  of  send- 
ing a  thick  stream  of  water  in  Crusty's  face  from  a  large 
syringe  which  he  held  in  his  hands ;  while  near  the  stove 
sat  the  jolly  skipper,  looking  as  grave  as  possible  under 
the  circumstances. 

The  practical  joke  was  just  approaching  to  a  climax 
when  I  looked  in.  The  combatants  neared  the  door  be- 
hind which  Crusty  was  ensconced.     The  pail  was  raised, 


.J! 


ST  ■•.-        ■  ■    ,■■{ 


•r]^ 


'I  I 


134 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


\  i. 


ami  tlio  syringe  pointed,  when  the  hall  door  opened,  and 
Mr.  Giiive  walked  in!  The  sudden  change  that  ensued 
could  not  have  been  more  rapidly  effected  had  Mr.  Grave 
been  a  magician.  Tlie  doctor  thrust  tlie  syringe  into  his 
pocket,  into  which  a  great  deal  of  the  water  escaped  and 
dripped  from  the  skirts  of  his  coat  as  he  walked  slowly 
across  tlie  room  and  began  to  examine,  with  a  wonderful 
degree  of  earnestness,  the  edge  of  an  amputating  knife 
that  lay  upon  his  dressing-table.  The  two  wrestlers 
sprang  witli  one  accord  into  their  own  room,  where  they 
hid  their  flushed  faces  behind  the  door.  Certain  smoth- 
ered sounds  near  the  stove  proclaimed  the  skipper  to  be 
revelling  in  an  excruciating  fit  of  suppressed  laughter ; 
while  poor  Crusty,  who  slipped  his  foot  in  rapidly  de- 
scending from  his  chair,  lay  sprawling  in  an  ocean  of 
water,   vliich  he  had  upset  upon  himself  in  his  fall. 

Mr.  Grave  merely  went  to  Mr.  Wilson's  room  to  ask  a 
few  questions,  and  then  dei)arted  as  if  he  had  seen  noth- 
ing; but  a  peculiar  twist  in  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  and 
a  comical  twinkle  in  his  eye,  showed  that,  although  he 
said  notliing,  he  had  a  pretty  good  guess  that  his  "  young 
men  "  had  been  engaged  in  mischief ! 

Such  were  the  companions  to  whom  I  introduced  ray- 
self  shortly  after ;  and,  while  they  went  off  to  the  office, 
I  amused  myself  in  looking  round  the  rooms  in  which  I 
wa>  to  spend  the  approaching  winter. 

The  house  was  only  one  story  high,  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  interior  formed  a  large  hall,  from  which  sev- 
eral doors  led  into  the  sleeping  apartments  of  the  clerks. 
The  wliole  was  built  of  wood ;  and  few  houses  could  be 
found  wherein  so  little  attention  was  paid  to  ornament  or 
luxury.  The  walls  were  originally  painted  white  ;  but 
this,  from  long  exposure  to  the  influence  of  a  large  store, 


t 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


isr) 


had  cliangeil  to  a  dirty  yellow.  No  carpet  covered  the 
floor ;  nevertheless,  its  yellow  jdanks  had  a  cHetirf ul  ap- 
pearance ;  and  gazing  at  the  numerous  knots  with  which 
it  was  covered,  often  afforded  me  a  dreamy  kind  of  annise- 
ment  when  I  had  nothing  better  to  do.  A  hirgc  oblong 
iron  box,  on  four  crooked  legs,  with  .i  funnel  running 
from  it  through  the  roof,  stood  exactly  in  the  middle  of 
the  room ;  this  was  a  stove,  but  the  empty  wood-box  in 
the  corner  showed  that  its  services  were  not  required  at 
that  time.  And  truly  they  were  not ;  for  it  was  the 
height  of  summer,  and  the  whole  room  was  filled  with 
mosquitos  and  bull-dog  flies,  which  kei)t  up  a  perpetual 
hum  night  and  day.  The  only  furniture  that  graced  the 
room  consisted  of  two  small  unpainted  deal-tables  without 
tablecloths,  five  whole  wooden  chairs,  and  a  broken  one ; 
which  latter,  being  light  and  handy,  was  occasionally  used 
as  a  missile  by  the  young  m^n  when  they  happened  to 
quarrel.  Several  guns  and  fishing-rods  stood  in  the  cor- 
ners of  the  hall ;  but  their  dirty  appearance  proclaimed 
that  sporting,  at  that  time,  was  not  the  order  of  the  day. 
The  tables  were  covered  with  a  miscellaneous  collection 
of  articlea ;  and,  from  a  number  of  pipes,  reposing  on 
little  odoriferous  heaps  of  cut  tobacco,  I  inferred  that  my 
future  companions  were  great  smokers.  Two  or  three 
books,  a  pair  of  broken  foils,  a  battered  mask,  and  several 
surgical  instruments,  over  which  a  huge  mortar  and  pestle 
presided,  completed  the  catalogue. 

The  different  sleeping  apartments  around  were  not 
only  interesting  to  contemplate,  but  also  extremely  char- 
acteristic of  the  pursuits  of  their  different  tenants.  The 
first  I  entered  was  very  small,  just  large  enough  to,con- 
tain  a  bed,  a  table,  and  a  chest,  leaving  little  room  for  the 
occupant  to  move  about  in ;  and  yet,  from  the  appearance 


'  !!i 


.*»■*. 


136 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


Ij 


'ill 


of  things,  he  did  move  about  in  it  to  some  purpose,  as  the 
table  was  strewn  with  a  number  of  saws,  files,  bits  of 
ivory  and  wood,  and  in  a  corner  a  small  vice  held  the 
head  of  a  cane  in  its  iron  jaws.  These  were  mixed  with 
a  number  of  Indian  account-books  and  an  inkstand ;  so 
that  I  concluded  I  had  stumbled  on  the  bedroom  of  my 
friend  Mr.  Wilson,  the  postmaster. 

The  quadrant  case  and  sea-chest  in  the  next  room 
proved  it  to  be  the  skipper's,  without  the  additional  testi- 
mony of  the  oiled-cloth  coat  and  sou'wester  hanging  from 
a  peg  in  the  wall. 

The  doctor's  room  was  filled  with  dreadful-looking  in- 
struments, suggestive  of  operations,  amputations,  bleeding 
wounds,  and  human  agony ;  while  the  accountant's  was 
equally  characterized  by  methodical  neatness,  and  the 
junior  clerks'  by  utter  and  chaotic  confusion.  None  of 
these  bedrooms  were  carpeted ;  none  of  them  boasted  of  a 
chair — the  trunks  and  boxes  of  the  persons  to  whom  they 
belonged  answering  instead  ;  and  none  of  the  beds  were 
graced  with  curtains.  Notwithstanding  this  emptiness, 
however,  they  had  a  somewhat  furnished  appearance, 
from  the  number  of  greatcoats,  leather  capotes,  fur  caps, 
worsted  sashes,  gims,  rifles,  shot-belts,  snow-shoes,  and 
powder-horns,  with  which  the  walls  werrj  profusely  deco- 
rated. The  ceilings  of  the  rooms,  moreover,  were  very 
low,  so  much  so  that,  by  standing  on  tiptoe,  I  could  touch 
them  with  my  hand  ;  and  the  window  in  each  was  only 
about  three  feet  high  by  two  and  a  half  broad,  so  that, 
upon  the  whole,  the  house  was  rather  snug  than  other- 
wise. 

Such  was  the  habitation  in  which  I  dwelt — such  were 
the  companions  with  whom  I  associated  at  York  Fac- 
tory. 


I 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


137 


As  the  season  advanced  the  days  became  shorte'r,  the 
lughts  more  frosty,  and  soon  a  few  flakes  of  snow  fell,  in- 
dicating the  approach  of  winter.  About  the  beginning  of 
October  the  cold,  damp,  snowy  weather  that  usually  pre- 
cedes winter,  set  in ;  and  shortly  afterwards  Hayes  River 
was  full  of  drifting  ice,  and  the  whole  country  covered 
with  snow.  A  week  or  so  after  this,  the  river  was  com- 
pletely frozen  over ;  and  Hudson's  Bay  itself,  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach,  was  covered  with  a  coat  of  ice.  We 
now  settled  down  into  our  winter  habits.  Double  win- 
dows were  fitted  in,  and  double  doors  also.  Extra  blan- 
kets were  put  upon  the  beds ;  the  iron  stove  kept  con- 
stantly alight ;  and  in  fact,  every  preparation  was  made 
to  mitigate  the  severity  of  the  winter. 

The  water  froze  every  night  in  our  basins,  although  the 
stove  was  kept  at  nearly  a  red  heat  all  day,  and  pretty 
warm  all  night ;  and  our  out-of-door  costume  was  changed 
from  jackets  and  shooting-coats  to  thick  leather  capotes, 
fur  caps,  duffle  socks,  and  moccasins. 

Soon  after  this,  white  partridges  showed  themselves ; 
and  one  fine  clear  frosty  morning,  after  breakfast,  I  made 
my  first  essay  to  kill  some,  in  company  with  my  fellow- 
clerk  and  room-mate  Crusty,  and  the  worthy  skipper. 

The  manner  of  dressing  ourselves  to  resist  the  cold  was 
curious.  I  will  describe  Crusty,  as  a  type  of  the  rest. 
After  donning  a  pair  of  deer-skin  trousers,  he  proceeded  to 
put  on  three  pair  of  blanket  socks,  and  over  these  a  pair 
of  moose-skin  moccasins.  Then  a  pair  of  blue  cloth  leg- 
gins  were  hauled  over  his  trousers,  partly  to  keep  the 
snow  from  sticking  to  them,  and  partly  for  warmth. 
After  this  he  put  on  a  leather  capote  edged  with  fur. 
This  coat  was  very  warm,  being  lined  with  flannel,  and 
overlapped  very  much  in  front.    It  was  fastened  with  a 


. 


l-:i 


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:  i 
i ' 


138 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


■ii)  i'-- 


If'  'ii 


I'A 


scarlet  worsted  belt  round  the  waist,  and  with  a  loop  at 
the  throat.  A  pair  of  tliick  mittens  made  of  deer-skin 
hung  round  his  shoulders  by  a  worsted  cord,  and  his  neck 
was  wrapped  in  a  huge  shawl,  above  whose  mighty  folds 
his  good-humored  visage  beamed  like  the  sun  on  the  edge 
of  a  fog-bank.  A  fur  cap  with  ear-pieces  compleled  his 
costume.  Having  finished  his  toilet,  and  tucked  a  pair  of 
snow-shoes,  five  feet  long,  under  one  arm,  and  a  double- 
barrelled  fowling-piece  under  the  other,  Crusty  waxed 
extremely  impatient,  and  proceeded  systematically  to  ag- 
gravate the  unfortunate  skipper  (who  was  always  very 
slow,  poor  man,  except  on  board  ship),  addressing  sundry 
remarks  to  the  stove  upon  the  slowness  of  seafaring  men 
in  general,  and  skippers  in  particular.  In  a  few  minutes 
the  skipper  appeared  in  a  similar  costume,  with  a  mon- 
strously long  gun  over  his  shoulder,  and  under  his  arm  a 
pair  of  snow-shoes  gaudily  painted  by  himself;  whirh 
snow-shoes  he  used  to  admire  amazingly,  and  often  ^^a  , 
it  as  his  opinion  that  they  were  "slap-up,  tossed-off-to-Ue 
nines  "  snow-shoes ' 

In  this  guise,  then,  we  departed  on  our  ramble.  The 
sun  shone  brightly  in  the  cold  blue  sky,  giving  a  warm 
appearance  to  the  scene,  although  no  sensible  warmth 
proceeded  from  it,  so  cold  was  the  air.  Countless  mil- 
lions of  icy  particles  covered  every  bush  and  tree,  glitter- 
ing tremulously  in  its  rays  like  diamonds — psha !  that 
hackneyed  simile ;  diamonds  of  the  purest  water  never 
shone  like  these  evanescent  little  gems  of  nature.  The 
air  was  biting  cold,  obliging  us  to  walk  briskly  along  to 
keep  our  blood  in  circulation  ;  and  the  breath  flew  thick 
and  white  from  our  mouths  and  nostrils,  like  clouds  of 
steam,  and,  condensing  on  our  hair  and  the  breasts  of  our 
coats,  gave  us  the  appearance  of  being  powdered  with  fine 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


139 


snow.  Crusty*s  red  countenance  assumed  a  redder  hue 
by  contrast,  and  he  cut  a  very  comical  figure  when  his 
bushy  whiskers  changed  from  their  natural  auburn  hue 
to  a  pure  white,  under  the  influence  of  this  icy  covering. 
The  skipper,  who  all  this  while  had  been  floundering 
slowly  among  the  deep  snow,  through  which  his  short  legs 
were  but  ill  calculated  to  carry  him,  suddenly  wheeled 
round,  and  presented  to  our  view  the  phenomenon  of  a 
very  red,  warm  face,  and  an  extremely  livid,  cold  nose 
thereunto  affixed.  We  instantly  apprised  him  of  the  fact 
that  his  nose  was  frozen,  which  he  would  scarcely  believe 
for  some  time  ;  however,  he  was  soon  convinced ;  and 
after  a  few  minutes'  hard  rubbing  it  was  restored  to  its 
usual  temperature. 

We  had  hitherto  been  walking  through  the  thick  woods 
near  the  river's  bank ;  but  finding  no  white  partridges 
there,  we  stretched  out  into  the  frozen  swamps,  which 
now  presented  large  fields  and  plains  of  compact  snow, 
studded  here  and  there  with  clumps  and  thickets  of  wil- 
lows. Among  these  we  soon  discovered  fresh  tracks  of 
birds  in  the  snow,  whereat  the  skipper  became  excited 
(the  sport  being  quite  new  to  him),  and  expressed  his 
belief,  in  a  hoarse  whisper,  that  they  were  not  far  off. 
He  even  went  the  length  of  endeavoring  to  walk  on  tip- 
toe, but  being  unable,  from  the  weight  of  his  snow-shoes, 
to  accomplish  this,  he  only  tripped  himself,  and,  falling 
with  a  stunning  crash  through  a  large  dried-up  bush,  bur- 
ied his  head,  shoulders,  and  gun  in  the  snow.  Whir-r-r ! 
went  the  alarmed  birds — crack!  bang!  went  Crusty's  gun, 
and  down  came  two  psCrtridges ;  while  the  unfortunate 
skipper,  scarce  taking  time  to  clear  his  eyes  from  snow, 
in  his  anxiety  to  get  a  shot,  started  up,  aimed  at  the  birds, 
and  blew  the  top  of  a  willow,  which  stood  a  couple  of  feet 


lum 


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ii'i 


140 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


before  him,  into  a  thousand  atoms.  The  partridges  were 
very  tame,  and  only  flew  to  a  neighboring  clump  of  bushes, 
where  they  alighted.  Meanwhile  Crusty  picked  up  his 
birds,  and  while  reloading  his  gun,  complimented  the 
skipper  upon  the  beautiful  manner  in  which  he  pointed. 
To  this  he  answered  not,  but  raising  his  gun,  let  drive  at 
a  solitary  bird,  which,  either  from  fear  or  astonishment, 
had  remained  behind  the  rest,  and  escaped  detection  until 
now,  owing  to  its  resemblance  to  the  surroundmg  snow. 
He  fortunately  succeeded  in  hitting  this  time,  and  bagged 
it  with  great  exultation.  Our  next  essay  was  even  more 
successful.  The  skipper  fired  at  one  which  he  saw  sitting 
near  him,  killed  it,  and  also  two  more  which  ho  had  not 
seen,  but  which  had  happened  to  be  in  a  line  with  the 
shot,  and  Crusty  and  I  killed  a  Lrace  eacii  when  they 
took  wing. 

During  the  whole  day  we  wandered  about  the  woods, 
sometimes  killing  a  few  ptarmigan,  and  occasionally  a 
kind  of  grouse,  which  are  called  by  the  people  of  the 
country  wood-partridges.  Whilst  sauntering  slowly  along 
in  the  afternoon,  a  rabbit  darted  across  our  path ;  the 
skipper  fired  at  it  without  even  putting  the  gun  to  his 
shoulder,  and  to  his  utter  astonishment  killed  it.  After 
this  we  turn.?d  to  retrace  our  steps,  thinking  that,  as  our 
game-bags  were  pretty  nearly  full,  we  had  done  enough 
for  one  day.  Our  sport  was  not  done,  however ;  we  came 
suddenly  upon  a  large  flock  of  ptarmigan,  so  tame  that 
they  would  not  fly,  but  merely  ran  from  us  a  little  way 
at  the  noise  of  each  shot.  The  firing  that  now  commenced 
was  quite  terrific.  Crusty  fired  till  both  barrels  of  his  gun 
were  stopped  up ;  the  skipper  fired  till  hia  powder  and 
shot  were  done  ;  and  I  fired  till — /  shinned  my  tongue  ! 
Lest  any  one  should  feel  surprised  at  the  last  statement, 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


141 


lOugh 


I  may  as  well  explain  how  this  happened.  The  cold  had 
become  so  intense,  and  my  hands  so  benumbed  with  load- 
ing, that  the  thumb  at  last  obstinately  refused  to  open 
the  spring  of  my  powder-flask.  A  partridge  was  sitting 
impudently  before  me,  so  that  in  the  fear  of  losing  the 
shot,  I  thought  of  trying  to  open  it  with  my  teeth.  In 
the  execution  of  this  plan,  I  put  the  brass  handle  to  my 
mouth,  and  my  tongue  happening  to  come  in  contact  with 
it,  stuck  fast  theretJ — or,  in  other  words,  was  frozen  to 
it.  Upon  discovering  this,  I  instantly  pulled  the  flask 
away,  and  with  it  a  piece  of  skin  about  the  size  of  a  six- 
pence. Having  achieved  this  little  feat,  we  once  more 
bent  our  steps  homeward. 

During  our  walk  the  day  had  darkened,  and  the  sky 
insensibly  become  overcast.  Solitary  flakes  of  snow  fell 
here  and  there  around  us,  and  a  low  moaning  sound,  as 
of  distant  wind,  came  mournfully  down  through  the  som- 
bre trees,  and,  eddying  round  their  trunks  in  little  gusts, 
gently  moved  the  branches,  and  died  away  in  the  dis- 
tance. "With  an  uneasy  glance  at  these  undoubted  signs 
of  an  approaching  storm,  we  hastened  towards  the  fort 
as  fast  as  our  loads  permitted  us,  but  had  little  hope  of 
reaching  it  before  the  first  burst  of  the  gale.  Nature 
had  laid  aside  her  sparkling  jewels,  and  was  now  dressed 
in  her  simple  robe  of  white.  Dark  leaden  clouds  rose  on 
the  northern  horizon,  and  the  distant  howling  of  the  cold, 
cold  wind  struck  mournfully  on  our  ears,  as  it  rushed 
fresh  and  bitterly  piercing  from  the  Arctic  seas,  tearing 
madly  over  the  frozen  plains,  and  driving  clouds  of  hail 
and  snow  before  it.  Whew !  how  it  dashed  along — scour- 
ing wildly  over  the  ground,  as  if  maddened  by  the  slight 
resistance  offered  to  it  by  the  swaying  bushes,  and 
hurrying  impetuously  forward   to  seek  a  more  worthy 


fljvj 


\h  '■ 


tr 


K\'i-l 


U:f' 


-*-r 


'3;i:r 


¥: 

■S:: 

Ii 

lili 

,'  y 

H 

;,l 


liJti' 


142 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


object  on  which  to  spend  its  bitter  fury  !  Whew !  how 
it  curled  around  our  limbs,  catching  up  mountains  of 
snow  into  the  air,  and  dashing  them  into  impalpable  dust 
against  our  wretched  faces.  Oh  !  it  was  bitterly,  bitterly 
cold.  Notwithstanding  our  thick  wrappings,  we  felt  as  if 
clothed  in  gauze ;  while  our  faces  seemed  to  collapse  and 
wrinkle  up  as  we  turned  them  from  the  wind  and  hid  them 
in  our  mittens.  One  or  two  flocks  of  ptarmigan,  scared  by 
the  storm,  flew  swiftly  past  us,  and  sOught  shelter  in  the 
neighboring  forest.  We  quickly  followed  their  example, 
and,  availing  ourselves  of  the  partial  shelter  of  the  trees, 
made  the  best  of  our  way  back  to  the  fort,  where  we 
arrived  just  as  it  was  getting  dark,  and  entered  the  warm 
precincts  of  Bachelors'  Hall,  like  three  animated  marble 
statues,  so  completely  were  we  covered  from  head  to  foot 
with.  snow. 

It  was  curious  to  observe  the  change  that  took  place 
in  the  appearance  of  our  guns  after  we  entered  the  warm 
room.  The  barrels,  and  every  bit  of  metal  upon  them, 
instantly  became  white,  like  ground  glass !  This  phe- 
nomenon was  caused  by  the  condensation  and  freezing  of 
the  moist  atmosphere  of  the  room  upon  the  cold  iron. 
Any  piece  of  metal,  when  brought  suddenly  out  of  such 
intense  cold  into  a  warm  room,  will  in  this  way  become 
covered  with  a  pure  white  coating  of  hoarfrost.  It  does 
not  remain  long  in  this  state,  however,  as  the  warmth  of 
the  room  soon  heats  the  metal  and  melts  the  ice.  Thus,  ' 
in  about  ten  minutes  our  guns  assumed  three  different 
appearances :  when  we  entered  the  house,  they  were 
clear,  polished,  and  dry  ;  in  five  minutes  they  were  white 
as  snow ;  and  in  five  more,  dripping  wet ! 

On  the  following  morning  a  small  party  of  Indians  ar- 
rived with  furs,  and  Mr.  Wilson  went  with  them  to  the 
trading-room,  whither  I  accompanied  him. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


143 


The  trading-room,  or,  as  it  is  frequently  called,  the  In- 
dian-shop, was  much  like  what  is  called  a  store  in  the 
United  States.  It  contained  every  imaginable  commodity 
likely  to  be  needed  by  Indians.  On  various  shelves  were 
piled  bales  of  cloth  of  all  colors,  capotes,  blankets,  caps, 
&c.,  and  in  smaller  divisions  were  placed  files,  scalping- 
knives,  gun-screws,  flints,  balls  of  twine,  fire-steels,  canoe- 
awls,  and  glass  beads  of  all  colors,  sizes,  and  descriptions. 
Drawers  in  the  counter  contained  needles,  pins,  scissors, 
thimbles,  fish-hooks,  and  vermilion  for  painting  canoes 
and  faces.  The  floor  was  strewn  with  a  variety  of  copper 
and  tin  kettles,  from  half-a-pint  to  a  gallon  ;  and  on  a 
stand  in  the  furthest  corner  of  the  room  stood  about  a 
dozen  trading  guns,  and  beside  them  a  keg  of  powder 
and  a  box  of  shot. 

Upon  our  entrance  into  this  roam  trade  began.  First 
of  all,  an  old  Indian  laid  a  pack  of  furs  upon  the  counter, 
which  Mr.  Wilson  counted  and  valued.  Having  done 
this,  he  marked  the  amount  opposite  the  old  man's  name 
in  his  "  Indian  book,"  and  then  handed  him  a  number  of 
small  pieces  of  wood.  The  use  of  these  pieces  of  wood 
is  explained  in  the  third  chapter.  The  Indian  then  be- 
gan to  look  about  him,  opening  his  eyes  gradually,  as  he 
endeavored  to  find  out  which  of  the  many  things  before 
him  he  would  like  to  have.  Sympathizing  with  his  eyes, 
his  mouth  slowly  opened  also ;  and  having  remained  in 
this  state  for  some  time,  the  former  looked  at  Mr.  "Wilson, 
and  the  latter  pronounced  ahcoup  (blanket).  Having 
received  the  blanket,  he  paid  the  requisite  number  of  bits 
of  wood  for  it,  and  became  abstracted  again.  In  this 
way  he  bought  a  gun.  several  yards  of  cloth,  a  few  beads, 
&c.,  till  all  his  sticks  were  gone,  and  he  made  way  for 
another.    The  Indians  were  uncommonly  slow,  however, 


(  'il 


1 1 

•1 


iti 


li!M 


!■  ■'.    1. 1 


I        1 
'  i. 


I 


144 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


and  Mr.  Wilson  and  I  roturned  to  the  house  in  a  couple 
of  hours,  with  very  cold  toes  and  fingers,  and  exceedingly 
blue  noses. 

During  winter  we  breakfasted  usually  at  nine  o'clock, 
then  sat  down  to  the  desk  till  one,  when  we  dined.  After 
dinner  we  resumed  our  pens  till  six,  when  we  had  tea, 
and  then  wrote  again  till  eight,  after  which  we  either 
amused  ourselves  with  books,  (of  which  we  had  a  few,) 
kicked  up  a  row,  or,  putting  on  our  snow-shoes,  went  off 
to  pay  a  moonlight  visit  to  our  traps.  On  Wednesdays 
and  Saturdays,  however,  we  did  no  work,  and  generally 
spent  these  days  in  shooting. 

It  lo  only  at  the  few  principal  establishments  of  the 
Company,  where  the  accounts  of  the  country  are  collected 
annually,  to  be  forwarded  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  House  in 
London,  that  so  much  writing  is  necessary. 

As  the  Christmas  holidays  approached,  we  prepared 
for  the  amusements  of  that  joyous  season.  On  the  morn- 
ing before  Christmas,  a  gentleman  who  had  spent  the  first 
part  of  the  winter  all  alone  at  his  outpost,  arrived  to  pass 
the  holidays  at  York  Factory.  We  were  greatly  delighted 
to  have  a  new  face  to  look  at,  having  seen  no  one  but  our- 
selves since  the  ship  left  for  England,  nearly  four  months 
before. 

Our  visitor  had  travelled  in  a  dog  cariole.  This 
machine  is  very  narrow,  just  broad  enough  to  admit  one 
person.  It  is  a  wooden  frame  covered  with  deer-skin 
parchment,  painted  gaudily,  and  is  generally  drawn  by 
four  Esquimaux  dogs.*      Dogs   are  invaluable  in  the 

*  The  traveller  sits,  or  rather  lies  in  it,  wrapped  in  buffalo  robes; 
while  the  dogs  are  urged  forward  by  a  man  who  walks  behind,  and 
prevents  the  machine  from  upsetting,  which  it  is  very  liable  to  do, 
from  the  inequalities  of  the  ground  over  which  it  sometimes  passes. 


m 


\     :i 


l-H 


■}  ■  ■ 


1      i! 


1  n 


iH^K 


v.    I 


L^«1 


144 

UMll   M. 


ur' 


'St 


,nvl  I  r<*!.OfnMl  fo  the  house  in  ri  coop!. 


'  tii^tc'l  usually  (\t  iii?i<   o*»' 
jj^  tiH  one,  when  wo  diucfl 

;  pn."^  till  sJx,  wlicn  we  hiio 
.      ill    c\^Ui,   afUM-  which  w«  i:. 
hook.-,. (of  "vvbich  wo  had  a  ' 
iiUiiiiX  i»n  cur  pnow-shoo8,  w<  r 
,;t,  to  owr  trapa.     On  AVechu  •*■  >  ■ 
wo  iViii  n<v  'voi'k,  and  gi.'ucriii 

w  j)rint'ipftl  v.Mahlishment.s  of  ' ' 
«..^i  t-  u  .  ^x,m>m\s  uf  the  c'onntiy  tiro  collect ^> 
j.iv  ui  u.j/to  Ik'  ftK-vrard<'il  to  ih«  HudK.n's  Bay  Hoii.*e  ■ 
Loud.jn,  that  *o  much  wniu);i  i"  nfwswdrv. 

Ak  the   t  hmtmar;  holJdrt}-^  app»>.'achc<i,  we  preim '. 
for  iht^  snnu«t:miM>tt'.  wf  tktt.  y.ytms  ^v^n.    On  the  ra':>r 
ing  lH.lT>re  Christina-,  a  gv^nil»rinan  v  ho  had  ^xMMit  tlie  fl 
part  of  the  waiter  all  tilone  at  h'w  outpost,  arrived  to  im  • 
the  holidays  at  York  Factory.    \Ve  w.to  gi-eatly  delighJ* 
to  hav*'  Si  new  face  to  look  at,  having  seen  no  one  l:)ut  x,m 
i^v^  ^iiK^e  the  -■ihip  hift  for  Enghmd,  nearly  four  mtmM 

Our  tfi.-ior  had   tj.>  f^lkd   in   a   dog   cnriole.       llf 
•  «^,,4,v, .  ;.  yv,  V"  narft^vp^;  jtif?  broad  enough  to  admit  w* 

fSs^tiv    covered  with  deer^*i' 
••.;,vlWy.  and  w- generally  drnwr*  V 
,I>og'«   arc   invaluable  iift  *'" 


i<  a  v'.K' 


.f  %■,  at:  ?&ffs«T  fios  Itj  !♦,  wrsvppert  in  i^ufiVIo  •  ■** 

ynVfi)     ,  '.  .  .^^,r  i,rwftiHl  Vyaman  %vh'-t  walks  beh  »  ..««*! 

prev'iPiv    .  fVom  ops^^trtng,  wJiich  it  i'   very  llab].   '.^i  '"-u 

fvoii.  th<! )'.  'iiVi*ViiH!s  >f  the  grtJtuKl  .f/er  whjcJi  it  sometimes  ptt:,'S*«. 


> 

o 
r 

K 
H 

>- 

M 


B; 

■  'i 

Kh 

1 '      *'ii  > 

i!^': 

'   I  ' 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


147 


Arctic  regions,  where  liorses  are  utterly  useless,  owing  to 
the  depth  of  snow  which  covers  the  earth  for  so  large  a 
portion  of  the  year.  Tlie  coniparatively  light  weight  of 
the  dogs  enables  them  to  walk  without  sinking  much,  and 
even  when  the  snow  is  so  soft  as  to  be  incapable  of  sup- 
porting them,  they  are  still  able  to  sprawl  along  more 
easily  than  any  other  species  of  quadruped  could  do. 
Four  are  usually  attached  to  a  sledge,  which  tiiey  haul 
with  great  vigor,  being  followed  by  a  di'iver  on  snow- 
shoes,  whose  severe  lash  is  brought  to  bear  so  powerfully 
on  the  backs  of  the  poor  animals,  should  any  of  them  be 
observed  to  slacken  their  pace,  that  t'ley  are  continually 
regarding  him  with  deprecatory  glpnces  as  they  run 
along.  Should  the  lash  give  a  iiourish,  there  is  gener- 
ally a  short  yelp  from  the  pack  ,  and  should  it  descend 
amongst  them  with  a  vigorous  c  uck,  the '  ocift  tous  yelling 
that  results  is  perfectly  terrific.  These  'rivers  are  some- 
times very  cruel ;  and  when  a  pack  ol  dogs  have  had  a 
fight,  and  got  their  traces  hope)  o. sly  ravelled,  ,  is  is  often 
the  case,)  they  have  been  known  to  fall  on  their  knees  in 
their  passion,  seize  one  of  the  poor  dogs  by  the  nose  witU 
their  teeth,  and  almost  bite  it  otf.  Dogs  are  also  used  for 
dragging  carioles,  which  vehicles  are  used  by  gentlemen 
in  the  Company's  service  who  are  either  too  old  or  too 
lazy  to  walk  on  snow-shoes.  The  cariole  is  in  form  not 
unlike  a  slipper  bath,  both  in  shape  and  size.  It  is  lined 
with  buffalo  robes,  in  the  midst  of  a  bundle  of  which  the 
occupant  reeling :  Inxuriously,  while  the  dogs  drag  him 
slowly  through  the  soft  snow,  and  among  the  trees  and 
bushes  of  the  forest ;  or  scamper  with  him  over  the  hard- 
beaten  surface  of  a  lake  or  river,  while  the  machine  is 
prevented  from  capsizing  by  a  voyageur  who  walks  be- 
hind on  snow-shoes,  holding  on  to  a  line  attached  to  the 


148 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


-  it 


1 1 


I 


back  part  of  the  cariole.  The  weather  during  winter  is 
so  cold  that  it  is  often  a  matter  of  the  greatest  difficulty 
for  the  traveller  to  keep  his  toes  from  freezing,  despite 
the  buffalo  robes  ;  and  sometimes,  when  the  dogs  start 
fresh  in  the  morning,  with  a  good  breakfast,  a  bright, 
clear,  frosty  day,  and  a  long  expanse  of  comparatively 
open  country  before  them,  where  the  snow  from  exposure 
has  become  quite  hard,  away  they  go  with  a  loud  yelp, 
upsetting  the  driver  in  the  bolt,  who  rises  to  heap  un- 
deserved and  very  improper  epithets  upon  the  ^oor 
brutes,  who,  careering  over  the  ground  at  the  rate  of 
eleven  miles  an  hour,  swing  the  miserable  cariole  over 
the  snow,  tear  it  through  the  bushes,  bang  it  first  on  one 
side,  then  on  the  other,  against  stumps  and  trees,  yelling 
all  the  while,  partly  with  frantic  glee  at  the  thought  of 
having  bolted,  and  partly  with  fearful  anticipation  of  the 
tremendous  welting  that  is  to  come ;  until  at  last  the 
cariole  gets  jammed  hard  and  fast  among  the  trees  of 
the  forest,  or  plunges  down  the  steep  bank  of  a  river 
head  over  heels  till  they  reach  the  foot — a  horrible  and 
struggling  compound  of  dogs,  traveller,  traces,  parchment, 
buffalo  robes,  blankets,  and  snow  ! 

Christmas  morning  dawned,  and  I  opened  my  eyes 
to  behold  the  sun  flashing  brightly  on  the  window,  in 
its  endeavors  to  make  a  forcible  entry  into  my  room, 
through  the  thick  hoarfrost  which  covered  the  panes. 
Presently  I  became  aware  of  a  gentle  breathing  near  me, 
andj  turning  my  eyes  slowly  round,  I  beheld  my  com- 
panion Crusty  standing  on  tiptoe,  with  a  tremendous 
grin  on  his  countenance,  and  a  huge  pillow  in  his  hands, 
which  was  in  the  very  act  of  descending  upon  my  devot- 
ed head.  To  collapse  into  the  smallest  possible  compass, 
and  present  the  most  invulnerable  part  of  my  body  to 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


149 


IS 

ite 
irt 


m 


the  blow,  was  the  work  of  an  instant,  when  down  came 
the.  pillow,  bang !  "  Hooroo !  hurroo  !  hurroo  !  a  merry 
Christmas  to  you,  you  rascal ! "  shouted  Crusty,  Bang ! 
bang !  went  the  pillow.  "  Turn  out  of  that,  you  lazy 
lump  of  plethoric  soranolescence,"  whack — and,  twirling 
the  ill-used  pillow  round  his  head,  my  facetious  friend 
rushed  from  the  room  to  bestow  upon  the  other  occupants 
of  the  hall  a  similar  salutation.  Upon  recovering  from 
the  effects  of  my  pommelling,  I  sprang  from  bed  and 
donned  my  clothes  with  all  speed,  and  then  went  to  pay 
my  friend  Mr.  Wilson  the  compliments  of  the  season. 
In  passing  through  the  hall  for  this  purpose,  I  discov- 
ered Crusty  struggling  in  the  arms  of  the  skipper,  who, 
having  wrested  the  pillow  from  him,  was  now  endeavor- 
ing to  throttle  him  partially.  I  gently  shut  and  fastened 
the  door  of  their  room,  purposing  to  detain  them  there 
till  very  nearly  too  late  for  breakfast,  and  then  sat  down 
with  Mr.  Wilson  to  discuss  our  intended  proceedings  dur- 
ing the  day.  These  were — firstly,  that  we  should  go 
and  pay  a  ceremonious  visit  to  the  men  ;  secondly,  that 
we  should  breakfast ;  thirdly,  that  we  should  go  out  to 
§hoot  partridges ;  fourthly,  that  we  should  return  to  din- 
ner at  five ;  and  fifthly,  that  we  should  give  a  ball  in 
Bachelors'  Hall  in  the  evening,  to  which  were  to  be  in- 
vited all  the  men  at  the  fort,  and  all  the  Indians,  men, 
women,  and  children,  inhabiting  the  country  for  thirty 
miles  round.  As  the  latter,  however,  did  not  amount  to 
above  twenty,  we  did  not  fear  that  more  would  come 
than  our  hall  was  calculated  to  accommodate.  In  pur- 
suance, then,  of  these  resolutions,  I  cleaned  my  gun, 
freed  my  prisoners  just  as  the  breakfast-bell  was  ring- 
ing, and  shortly  aftervyards  went  out  to  shoot.  I  will  not 
drag  the  reader  after  me,  but  merely  say,  that  we  all 


i  '  \ 


III 


'  ':in 


Hn 


i .  F'i; 


I  ' 


1  ■  '■ : 


150 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


hi! 


1;^ 


i 


\  '• 


!?'• 


"1 


returned  about  dusk,  with  g?.me-bags  full  and  appetites 
.  ravenous. 

Our  Christmas  dinner  was  a  good  one  in  a  substantial 
point  of  view,  and  a  very  pleasant  one,  in  a  social  point 
of  view.     We  ate  it  in  the  winter  mess-room,  and  really 
(for  Hudson's  Bay)   this  was  quite  a  snug  and  highly 
decorated  apartment.     True,  there  was  no  carpet  on  the 
floor,  and  the   chairs  were   homemade ;    but  then,  the 
table  was  mahogany,  and  the  walls  were  hung  round  with 
several   large   engravings   in   bird's-eye   maple   frames. 
The  stove,  too,  was  brightly  polished  with   black   lead, 
and  the  painting  of  the  room  had  been  executed  with 
a  view  to  striking  dumb  those  innocent  individuals  who 
had  spent  the  greater  part  of  their  lives  at  outposts,  and 
were,  consequently,  accustomed  to   domiciles  and  furni- 
ture of  the  simplest  and  most  unornamental  description. 
On  the  present  grand  occasion,  the  mess-room  was  illu- 
minated by  an  argand  lamp,  and  the  table  covered  with 
a  snow-white  cloth,  whereon  reposed  a  platter,  containing 
a  beautiful  fat,  plump  wild-goose,  which  had  a  sort  of 
come-eat-me-up-quick-else-I'll-melt   expression    about   it 
that  was  painfully  delicious.     Opposite  to  this  smoked  a 
huge  roast  of  beef,  to  procure  which  one  of  our  most  use- 
less draught   oxen   had  been   sacrificed.     This,  with   a 
dozen  of  white  partridges,  and  a  large  piece  of  salt  pork, 
composed  our  dinner.     But  the  greatest  rarities  on  the 
board  were  two  large  decanters  of  port  wine,  and  two 
smaller  ones  of  Madeira.     These  were  flanked  by  tum- 
blers and  glasses  ;  and  truly,  upon  the  whole,  our  dinner 
made  a  goodly  show. 

*'  Come  away,  gentlemen,"  said  Mr.  Grave,  as  we 
entered  the  room  and  approached  the  stove  where  he 
stood,  smiling  with  that  benign  expression  of  countenance 


tes 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


151 


peculiar  to  stout,  good-natured  gentlemen  at  this  season, 
and  at  this  particular  hour.  "Your  walk  must  have 
sharpened  your  appetites  ;  sit  down,  sit  down.  This 
way,  doctor,  sit  near  me ;  find  a  place,  Mr.  Ballantyne, 
beside  your  friend  Crusty  there  ;  take  the  foot,  Mr.  Wil- 
son ; "  and  amid  a  shower  of  such  phrases  we  seated  our- 
selves and  began.  • 

At  the  top  of  the  table  sat  Mr.  Grave,  indistinctly 
visible  through  the  steam  that  rose  from  the  wild-goose 
before  him.  On  his  right  and  left  sat  the  doctor  and  the 
accountant,  and  down  from  them  sat  the  skipper,  four 
clerks,  and  Mr.  Wilson,  whose  honest  face  beamed  with 
philanthropic  smiles  at  the  foot  of  the  table.  Loud  was 
the  mirth  and  fun  that  reigned  on  this  eventful  day 
within  the  walls  of  the  highly  decorated  room  at  York 
Factory.  Bland  was  the  expression  of  Mr.  Grave's  face, 
when  he  asked  each  of  the  young  clerks  to  drink  wine 
with  him  in  succession  ;  and  great  was  the  confidence 
which  thereby  inspired  the  said  clerks,  prompting  them  to 
the  perpetration  of  several  rash  and  unparalleled  pieces 
of  presumption,  such  as  drinking  wine  with  each  other, 
(an  act  of  freewill  on  their  part  almost  unprecedented,) 
and  indulging  in  sundry  sly  pieces  of  covert  humor,  such 
as  handing  the  vinegar  to  each  other  when  the  salt  was 
requested,  and  becoming  profusely  apologetic  upon  dis- 
covering their  mistake.  But  the  wildest  storm  is  often 
succeeded  by  the  greatest  calm,  and  the  most  hilarious 
mirth  by  the  most  solemn  gravity.  In  the  midst  of  our 
fun,  Mr.  Grave  proposed  a  toast.  Each  filled  a  bumper, 
and  silence  reigned  around,  while  he  raised  his  glass, 
and  said,  "  Let  us  drink  to  absent  friends."  We  each 
whispered,  "  Absent  friends,"  and  set  our  glasses  down 
in  silence,  while  our  minds  flew  back  to  the  scenes  of 


^ii 

^mmm 

Bvi 

W'm  f 

r 

'if 

1 

'If 

^ . 

I':   ' 

M^ 

'  ;-'|i 

i!  ) 


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m 


1, '  r '  "*-i 


M:'W 


■Mi-  J 


. ,  m 

5     '      i  !  • 


i    i    ■  s: 


H      . 


m 


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1 1 


i 


i  ? 


W' 

M  ■ 

'T 

1       '.    i  - 

<i 

152 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


t  » 


1  '  ' 


former  days,  and  we  mingled  again  in  spirit  with  our 
dear,  dear  friends  at  home.  How  different  the  mirth  of 
the  loved  ones  there,  circling  round  the  winter  hearth, 
from  that  of  the  men  seated  round  the  Christmas  table  in 
the  Nor'west  wilderness !  I  question  verj  much  if  this 
toast  was  ever  drunk  with  a  more  thorough  appreciation 
of  its  melancholy  import  than  upon  the  present  memo- 
rable occasion.  Our  sad  feelings,  however,  were  speedily 
put  to  flight,  and  our  gravity  routed,  when  the  skipper, 
with  characteristic  modesty,  p/  oposed  "  The  ladies  ;  " 
which  toast  we  drank  with  a  hearty  good-will,  although, 
indeed,  the  former  included  them,  inasmuch  as  they  also 
were  absent  friends — the  only  one  within  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  of  us  being  Mr.  Grave's  wife. 

What  a  magical  effect  ladies  have  upon  the  male  sex, 
to  be  sure !  Although  hundreds  of  miles  distant  from 
an  unmarried  specimen  of  the  species,  upon  the  mere 
mention  of  their  name  there  was  instantly  a  perceptible 
alteration  for  the  better  in  the  looks  of  the  whole  party. 
Mr.  Wilson  unconsciously  arranged  his  hair  a  little  more 
becomingly,  as  if  his  ladye-love  were  actually  looking  at 
him  ;  and  the  skipper  afterwards  confessed  that  his  heart 
had  bounded  suddenly  out  of  his  breast,  across  the  snowy 
billows  of  the  Atlantic,  and  come  smash  down  on  the 
wharf  at  Plymouth  Dock,  where  he  had  seen  the  last 
wave  of  Nancy's  checked  cotton  neckerchief  as  he  left 
the  shores  of  Old  England. 

Just  as  we  had  reached  the  above  climax,  the  sound  of 
a  fiddle  struck  upon  our  ears,  and  reminded  us  that  our 
guests  who  had  been  invited  to  the  ball  were  ready ;  so, 
emptying  our  glasses,  we  left  the  dining-room,  and  ad- 
journed to  the  hall. 

Here  a  scene  of  the  oddest  description  presented  itself. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


158 


The  room  was  lit  up  by  means  of  a  number  of  tallow 
candles,  stuck  in  tin  sconces  round  the  walls.  On  benches 
and  chairs  sat  the  Orkneymen  and  Canadian  half-breeds 
of  the  establishment,  in  their  Sunday  jackets  and  capotes; 
wliile  here  and  there  the  dark  visage  of  an  Indian  peered 
out  from  among  their  white  ones.  But  round  the  stove- — 
which  had  been  removed  to  one  side  to  leave  space  for 
the  dancers — the  strangest  group  was  collected.  Squat- 
ting down  on  the  floor,  in  every  ungraceful  attitude 
imaginable,  sat  about  a  dozen  Indian  women,  dressed  in 
printed  calico  gowns,  the  chief  peculiarity  of  which  was 
the  immense  size  of  the  balloon-shaped  sleeves,  and  the 
extreme  scantiness,  both  in  length  and  width,  of  the 
skirts.  Colored  handkerchiefs  covered  their  heads,  and 
ornamented  moccasins  decorated  their  feet ;  besides  which, 
each  one  wore  a  blanket  in  the  form  of  a  shawl,  which 
they  put  oif  before  standing  up  to  dance.  They  were 
chatting  and  talking  to  each  other  with  great  volubility, 
occasionally  casting  a  glance  behind  them,  where  at  least 
half-a-dozen  infants  stood  bolt  upright  in  their  tight- 
laced  cradles.  On  a  chair,  in  a  corner  near  the  stove, 
sat  a  young  good-looking  Indian,  with  a  fiddle  of  his  own 
making  beside  him.  This  was  our  Paganini ;  and  be- 
side him  sat  an  Indian  boy  with  a  kettle-drum,  on  which 
he  tapped  occasionally,  as  if  anxious  that  the  ball  should 
begin. 

All  this  flashed  upon  our  eyes ;  but  we  had  not  much 
time  for  contemplating  it,  as,  the  moment  we  entered,  the 
women  simultaneously  rose,  and  coming  modestly  forward 
to  Mr.  Wilson,  who  was  the  senior  of  the  party,  saluted 
him,  one  after  another !  I  had  been  told  that  this  was  a 
custom  of  the  ladies  on  Christmas-day,  and  was  conse- 
quently not  quite  unprepared  to  go  through  the  ordeal. 


u±m 


■,, . 


f;  t 


mMi 


154 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


ti 


tL  >  U ' 


But  when  I  looked  at  the  superhuman  ugliness  of  some 
of  the  old  ones — when  I  gazed  at  the  immense,  and  in 
some  cases  toothless  chasms  that  were  pressed  to  my 
senior's  lips,  and  that  gradually^  like  a  hideous  nightmare, 
ajjproached  towards  me — and  when  I  reflected  that  these 
same  mouths  might  hnve,  in  former  dnys,  demolished  a 
few  children — my  courago  foi-dook  me,  and  I  entertained 
for  a  moment  the  idea  of  bo|( ing.  Ti^e  '^  ^otor  seemed  to 
labor  imdor  the  same  disirujiination  \vv.ii  myself;  for 
when  tbcr  advanced  to  >)'m,  he  refused  to  bend  his  head, 
and,  being  upwards  of  six  feet  high,  they  of  course  were 
obliged  to  pass  him.  They  looked,  ho^'ever,  so  much 
disappointed  at  thii^,  and  withal  so  very  modest,  that  I 
really  felt  for  tlvem,  and  prepc.  'd  to  submit  to  my  fate 
with  the  best  grace  possible.  A  horrible  old  hag  ad- 
vanced towards  me,  the  perfect  embodiment  of  a  night- 
mare, with  a  fearful  grin  on  her  countenance.  I  shut 
my  eyes.  Suddenly  a  bright  idea  flashed  across  my 
mind  ;  I  stooped  down,  with  apparent  good-will,  to  salute 
her ;  but  just  as  our  lips  were  about  to  meet,  I  slightly 
jerked  up  my  head,  and  she  kissed  my  chin.  Oh,  happy 
thought!  They  were  all  quite  satisfied,  and  attributed 
the  accident,  no  doubt,  to  their  own  clumsiness — or  to 
mine ! 

This  ceremony  over,  we  each  chose  partners,  the  fiddle 
struck  up,  and  the  ball  began.  Scotch  reels  were  the 
only  dances  known  by  the  majority  of  the  guests,  so  we 
confined  ourselves  entirely  to  them. 

The  Indian  women  afforded  us  a  good  deal  of  amuse- 
ment during  the  evening.  Of  all  ungraceful  beings  they 
are  the  most  ungraceful ;  and  of  all  accomplishments, 
dancing  is  the  one  in  which  they  shine  least.  There  is 
no  rapid  motion  of  the  feet,  no  lively  expression  of  the 


\     \ 


liii  III    ' 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


155 


countenance  ;  but  with  a  slow,  regular,  up-and-down  mo- 
tion, they  stalk  through  the  figure  with  extreme  gravity. 
They  seemed  to  enjoy  it  amazingly,  however,  and  scarcely 
allowed  the  poor  fiddler  a  moment's  rest  during  the  whole 
evening. 

Between  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock  our  two  tables 
were  put  together,  and  spread  with  several  towels ;  thus 
forming  a  pretty  respectable  supper  table,  which  would 
have  been  perfect,  had  not  the  one  part  been  three  inches 
higher  than  the  other.  On  it  was  placed  a  huge  dish  of 
cold  venison,  and  a  monstrous  iron  kettle  of  tea.  This, 
with  sugar,  bread,  and  a  lump  of  salt  butter,  completed 
the  entertainment  to  which  the  Indians  sat  down.  They 
enjoyed  it  very  much,  at  least  so  I  judged  from  the  rapid 
manner  in  which  the  viands  disappeared,  and  the  inces- 
sant chattering  and  giggling  kept  up  at  intervals.  After 
all  were  satisfied,  the  guests  departed  in  a  state  of  great 
happiness,  particularly  the  ladies,  who  tied  up  the  rem- 
nants of  their  supper  in  their  handkerchiefs,  and  carried 
them  away. 

Before  concluding  the  description  of  our  Christmas 
doings,  I  may  as  well  mention  a  circumstance  which 
resulted  from  the  effects  of  the  ball,  as  it  shows  in  a 
curious  manner  the  severity  of  the  climate  at  York  Fac- 
tory. In  consequence  of  the  breathing  of  so  many  people 
in  so  small  a  room,  for  such  a  length  of  time,  the  walls 
had  become  quite  damp,  and  ere  the  guests  departed, 
moisture  was  trickling  down  in  many  places.  During 
the  night  this  moisture  was  frozen ;  and,  on  rising  the 
following  morning,  I  found,  to  my  astonishment,  that 
Bachelors'  Hall  was  apparently  converted  into  a  palace 
of  crystal.  The  walls  and  ceihng  were  thickly  coated 
with  beautiful  minute  crystalline  flowers,  not  sticking  flat 


1 


I  , 


.   1| 


>       } 


\ 


) 


\ 


ill 


1 

1    1 

I 
f 

! 


i  I 

ii    f 


■     J 


156 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


ll> 


l(H> 

I 


upon  them,  but  projecting  outwards  in  various  directions, 
thus  giving  the  wliole  apartment  a  cheerful  light  appeai'- 
ance,  quite  indescribable.  The  moment  our  stove  was 
heated,  however,  the  crystals  became  fluid,  and  ere  long 
evaporated,  leaving  the  walls  exposed  in  all  their  original 
dinginess.  ,  .. 

•  •  •  •  •  •  • 

"Winter  passed  aAvay ;  but  not  slowly,  or  by  degrees. 
A  winter  of  so  long  duration  could  not  be  expected  to 
give  up  its  dominion  without  a  struggle.  In  October  it 
began,  and  in  November  its  empire  was  established. 
During  December,  January,  February,  March,  and 
April,  it  reigned  unmolested,  in  steadfast  bitterness ; 
inclosing  in  its  icy  bands,  and  retaining  in  torpid  fri- 
gidity, the  whole  inanimate  and  vegetable  creation.  But 
in  May  its  powerful  enemy,  caloric,  made  a  decided  at- 
tack upon  the  empire,  and  dealt  hoary  Winter  a  stunning 
blow. 

Ab.out  the  beginning  of  April  a  slight  thaw  occurred, 
the  first  that  had  taken  place  since  the  commencement 
of  winter ;  but  this  was  speedily  succeeded  by  hard  frost, 
which  continued  till  tlie  second  week  in  May,  when  thaw 
set  in  so  steadily,  that  in  a  few  daytj  the  appearance  of 
the  country  entirely  changed. 

On  the  12th  of  May,  Hayes  River,  which  had  been 
covered  for  nearly  eig'iL  months  with  a  coat  of  ice  up- 
wards of  six  feet  thick,  gave  way  before  the  floods  occa- 
sioned by  the  melting  snow  ;  and  all  the  inmates  of  the 
fort  rushed  out  to  the  banks  upon  hearing  the  news  that 
the  river  was  "  going."  On  reachiiig  the  gate  the  sub- 
limity of  til  spectacle  that  met  our  gaze  can  scarcely  be 
imagined.  The  noble  river,  here  nearly  tvvo  miles  broad, 
was  entirely  covered  with  huge  blocks,  and  jagged  lumps 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


157 


of  ice,  rolling  and  tlashing  against  each  other  in  chaotic 
confusion,  as  the  swelling  floods  heaved  them  up,  and 
swept  them  with  irresistible  force  towards  Hudson's  Bay. 
In  one  place,  where  the  masses  were  too  closely  packed 
to  admit  of  violent  collision,  they  ground  against  each 
other  with  a  slow  but  powerful  motion  that  curled  their 
hard  edges  up  like  ])aper,  till  the  smaller  lumps,  unable 
to  bear  the  pressure,  were  ground  to  powder,  and  with  a 
loud  crash  the  rest  hurried  on  to  renew  the  struggle  else- 
where,  while  the  ice  above,  whirling  swiftly  round  in*  the 
clear  space  thus  formed,  as  if  delighted  at  its  sudden  re- 
lease, hurried  onwards.  In  another  place,  where  it  was 
not  so  closely  packed,  a  huge  lump  suddenly  grounded  on 
a  shallow ;  and  in  a  moment  the  rolling  masses,  which 
were  hurrying  towards  the  sea  with  the  velocity  of  a 
cataract,  were  precipitated  against  it  with  a  noise  like 
thunder,  and  the  tremendous  pressure  from  above,  forc- 
ing block  upon  block  with  a  loud  hissing  noise,  raised,  as 
if  by  magic,  an  icy  castle  in  the  air,  which,  ere  its  pin- 
nacles had  pointed  for  a  second  to  the  sky,  fell  with 
stunning  violence  into  the  boiling  flood  from  whence  it 
rose.  In  a  short  time  afterwards  the  mouth  of  the  river 
became  so  full  of  ice  that  it  stuck  there,  and  in  less  than 
an  hour  the  water  rose  ten  or  fifteen  feet,  nearly  to  a 
level  with  the  top  of  the  bank.  In  this  state  it  contin- 
ued for  a  week  ;  and  then,  about  the  end  of  May,  the 
whole  floated  quietly  out  to  sea,  and  the  cheerful  river 
gurgled  along  its  bed  with  many  a  curling  eddy  and 
watery  dimple  rippling  its  placid  face^  as  if  it  smiled  to 
think  of  having  overcome  its  powerful  enemy,  and  at 
length  burst  its  prison  walls. 

Although  the  river  was  free,  many  a  sign  of  winter 
yet  remained  around  our  forest  home.     The  islands  in 


';ll 


\'V 


n ;  I 


r 


'i        'S\ 


■^''jmnami'in'w 


158 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


i  •; 


r  I  ••  I 


the  middle  of  the  stream  were  covered  with  masses  of 
ice,  many  of  wliieh  were  piled  up  to  a  height  of  twenty 
or  thirty  feet.  All  along  the  banks,  too,  it  was  strewn 
thickly ;  while  in  the  woods  snow  still  lay  in  many  [>laee9 
several  feet  deep.  In  time,  however,  these  last  evidences 
of  the  mighty  power  of  winter  gave  way  before  the  warm 
embraces  of  spring.  Bushes  and  trees  began  to  bud, 
gushing  rills  to  flow,  frogs  to  whistle  in  the  swamp,  and 
ducks  to  sport  upon  the  river,  while  the  hoarse  cry  of  the 
•wi^d-goose,  the  whistling  wings  of  teal,  and  all  the  other 
sounds  and  cries  of  the  long-absent  inhabitants  ot  the 
marshes,  gave  life  and  animation  to  the  scene. 

Often  hi.\B  nature  been  described  as  falling  asleep  in  the 
arras  of  winter,  and  awaking  at  the  touch  of  spring  ;  but 
nowhere  is  this  simile  so  strikingly  illustrated  as  in  these 
hyperborean  climes,  where,,  for  eight  long  silent  months, 
nature  falls  into  a  slumber  so  deep  and  unbroken  that 
death  seems  a  fitter  simile  than  sleep,  and  then  bursts 
into  a  life  so  bright,  so  joyous,  so  teeming  with  animal 
and  vegetable  vitality,  and,  especially  when  contrasted 
with  her  previous  torpidity,  so  noisy,  that  awakening 
from  sleep  gives  no  adequate  idea  of  the  change. 

Now  was  the  time  that  our  guns  were  cleaned  with 
peculiar  care,  and  regarded  with  a  sort  of  brotherly  affec- 
tion. Not  that  we  despised  the  sports  of  winter,  but  we 
infinitely  preferred  those  of  spring. 

Young  Crusty  and  I  were  inseparable  companions  ;  we 
had  slept  in  the  same  room,  hunted  over  the  same  ground, 
and  scribbled  at  the  same  desk,  during  the  whole  winter, 
and  now  we  purchased  a  small  hunting  canoe  from  an 
Indian,  for  the  purpose  of  roaming  about  together  in 
spring.  Our  excursions  were  always  amusing  ;  and  as  a 
description  of  one  of  them  may  perhaps  prove  interesting 
to  the  reader,  I  shall  narrate     . 


■.  h 


HUDSON'S   BAY. 


159 


lil ;  and  as  a 


A  CANOE  EXCURSION  OX  THE  SHORES  OF  HUDSON'S 

nAY. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  day  we  choso  was  fine ; 
"that  the  sun  shone  brightly ;  that  the  curling  eddies  of 
the  river  smiled  sweetly  ;  that  the  jagged  ]:)innacles  of 
the  blocks  of  ice  along  shore,  which  had  not  yet  melted, 
sparkled  brilliantly ;  that  the  fresh  green  foliage  of  the 
trees  contrasted  oddly  with  these  white  masses ;  (tiat 
Crusty  and  I  shouldered  our  canoe  between  us,  after  hav- 
ing placed  our  guns,  &c.,  in  it,  and  walked  lightly  down 
to  the  rive?  bank  under  our  burden.  It  is  needless,  I  say, 
to  describe  all  this  minutely,  as  it  would  be  unnecessaiy 
waste  of  pen,  ink,  and  paper.  It  is  sufficient  to  say,  that 
we  were  soon  out  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  fioating 
gently  down  the  current  towards  the  Point  of  Marsh, 
which  was  to  be  the  scene  of  our  exploits. 

The  day  was  indeed  beautiful,  and  so  very  calm  and 
still,  that  the  glassy  water  reflected  every  little  cloud  in 
the  sky ;  and  on  the  seaward  horizon  everything  was 
quivering  and  magically  turned  upside  down — islands, 
trees,  icebergs,  and  all !  A  solitary  gull,  which  stood  not 
far  off  upon  a  stone,  looked  so  preposterously  huge  from 
the  same  atmospherical  cause,  that  I  would  have  laughed 
immoderately,  had  I  had  energy  to  do  so  ;  but  I  was  too 
much  wrapped  in  placid  enjoyment  of  the  scene  to  give 
way  to  boisterous  mirth.  The  air  was  so  calm  that  the 
plaintive  cries  of  thous.  nsls  of  wild-fowl  which  covered 
the  Point  of  Marsh  stnick  iaintly  on  our  ears.  "Ah!" 
thought  I ! — but  I  neeJ  not  say  what  I  thought.  I  grasped 
my  powder-flask  and  shook  it — it  was  full,  crammed  full ! 
I  felt  my  shot-belt — it  was  fat,  very  fat,  bursting  with 
shot !     Our  two  guns  lay  side  by  side,  vying  in  brightness ; 


1 ' 


I's* 


I  ( 


n 


•I 


'!  i: 


ij  i 


1  i 


160 


u* 


HUDSO  I'S  BAY. 


their  flints  quite  new  ansi  --'biiijj,  and  standing  up  in  a 
lively  wide-awake  sort  of  way,  as  much  as  to  say,  "If  you 
do  not  let  me  go,  I'll  go  bang  off  by  myself  I  "  Happiness 
is  sometimes  too  strong  to  be  enjoyed  quietly  ;  and  Crusty 
and  I,  feeling  that  wc  could  keep  it  down  no  longer,  burst 
simultaneously  into  a  yell  that  rent  the  air,  and  seizing 
the  paddles,  made  our  light  canoe  spring  over  the  water, 
while  we  vented  our  feeling  in  a  lively  song,  which,  reach- 
ing the  astonished  ears  of  the  afore-mentioned  preposter- 
ously large  gull,  caused  its  [)recipitate  departure. 

In  half  an  hour  we  reached  the  Point ;  dragged  the 
canoe  above  high-water  mark ;  shouldered  our  guns,  and, 
with  long  strides,  proceeded  over  the  swamp  in  search 
of  game. 

We  had  little  doubt  of  having  good  sport,  for  the  whole 
point  away  to  the  horizon  was  teeming  with  ducks  and 
plover.  AVo  had  scarcely  gone  a  hundred  yards  ere  a 
large  widgeon  rose  from  behind  a  bush,  and  Crusty,  who 
was  in  advance,  brought  it  down.  As  we  plodded  on,  the 
faint  cry  of  a  wild-goose  caused  us  to  squat  down  sud- 
denly behind  a  neighboring  bush,  from  which  retreat  we 
gazed  round  to  see  where  our  friends  were.  Another  cry 
from  behind  attracted  our  attention  ;  and  far  away  on  the 
horizon  we  saw  a  large  flock  of  geese  flying  in  a  mathe- 
matically correct  triangle.  Now,  although  far  out  of  shot, 
and  almost  out  of  sight,  we  did  not  despair  of  getting  one 
of  these  birds ;  for,  by  imitating  their  cry,  there  was  a 
possibility  of  attracting  them  towards  us.  Geese  often 
answer  to  a  call  in  this  way,  if  well  imitated,  particularly 
in  spring,  as  they  imagine  that  their  friends  have  found  a 
good  feeding-place,  and  wish  them  to  alight.  Knowing 
this,  Crusty  and  I  continued  in  our  squatting  position — 
utterly  unmindful,  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  of 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


161 


the  fact  that  the  water  of  the  swamp  lay  in  the  same 
proximity  to  our  persons  as  a  chair  does  when  we  sit 
down  on  it — and  commenced  to  yell  and  scream  vocifer- 
ously in  imitation  of  geese ;  for  which,  doubtless,  many 
people  unacquainted  with  our  purpose  would  have  taken 
us.  At  first  our  call  seemed  to  make  no  impression  on 
them  ;  but  gradually  they  bent  into  a  curve,  and,  sweeping 
round  in  a  long  circle,  came  nearer  to  us,  while  we  con- 
tinued to  shout  at  the  top  of  our  voices.  How  they  ever 
mistook  our  bad  imitation  of  the  cry  for  the  voices  of  real 
geese,  I  cannot  tell — probably  they  thought  we  had  colds 
or  sore  throats ;  at  any  rate  they  came  nearer  and  nearer, 
screaming  to  us  in  return,  till  at  last  they  ceased  to  flap 
their  wings,  and  sailed  slowly  over  the  bush  behind  which 
we  were  ensconced,  with  their  long  necks  stretched  straight 
out,  and  their  heads  a  little  to  one  side,  looking  down  for 
their  friends.  Upon  discovering  their  mistake,  and  be- 
holding two  human  beings  instead  of  geese  within  a  few 
yards  of  them,  the  sensation  created  among  them  was  tre- 
mendous, and  the  racket  they  kicked  up  in  trying  to  fly 
from  us  was  terrific  ;  but  it  was  too  late.  The  moment 
we  saw  that  they  had  discovered  us,  our  guns  poured  forth 
their  contents,  and  two  out  of  the  flock  fell  with  a  lumber- 
ing smash  upon  the  ground,  while  a  third  went  off 
wounded,  and  after  wavering  in  its  flight  for  a  little  sank 
slowly  to  the  ground. 

Having  bagged  our  game,  we  proceeded,  and  ere  long 
filled  our  bags  with  ducks,  geese,  and  plover.  Towards 
the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  a  tent  belonging  to  an  old 
Indian  called  Morris.  With  this  dingy  gentleman  we 
agreed  to  dine,  and  accordingly  bent  our  steps  towards 
his  habitation.  Here  we  found  the  old  Indian  and  his 
wife  squatting  down  on  the  floor  and  wreathed  in  smoke 

11 


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HUDSON'S  BY. 


1 

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f^Biiiiii 

partly  from  the  wood  fire  which  burned  in  the  middle  of 
the  tent,  and  partly  from  the  tobacco-pipes  stuck  in  their 
respective  mouths.  Old  Morris  was  engaged  in  prepar- 
ing a  kettle  of  pea-soup,  in  which  were  boiled  several 
plover,  and  a  large  white  owl ;  which  latter,  when  lifted 
out  of  the  pot,  looked  so  very  like  a  skinned  baby  that  we 
could  scarcely  believe  they  were  not  guilty  of  cannibalism. 
His  wife  was  engaged  in  ornamenting  a  pair  of  mocca- 
sins with  dyed  quills.  On  our  entrance  (.he  old  man  re- 
moved his  pipe,  and  cast  an  inquiring  glance  into  the  soup 
kettle  ;  this  apparently  gave  him  immense  satisfaction,  as 
he  turned  to  us  with  a  smiling  countenance,  and  remarked 
(for  he  could  speak  capital  English,  having  spent  the  most 
of  his  life  near  York  Factory)  that  "  duck  plenty,  but  he 
too  hold  to  shoot  much ;  obliged  to  Aeat  Aowl."  This  we 
agreed  was  uncommonly  hard,  and  after  presenting  him 
with  several  ducks  and  a  goose,  proposed  an  inspection  of 
the  contents  of  the  kettle,  which  being  agreed  to,  we  de- 
molished nearly  half  of  the  soup,  and  left  him  and  his  wife 
to«Aeat"the«Aowl." 

After  resting  an  hour  with  this  hospitable  fellow,  we 
departed,  to  prepare  our  encampment  ere  it  became  dark, 
as  we  intended  passing  the  night  in  the  swamps,  under 
our  canoe.  Near  the  tent  we  passed  a  fox-trap  set  on  the 
top  of  a  pole,  and,  on  inquiring,  found  that  this  was  the 
machine  in  which  Old  Morris  caught  his  "  Aowls."  The 
white  owl  is  a  very  large  and  beautiful  bird,  sometimes 
nearly  as  large  as  a  swan.  I  shot  one  which  measured 
five  feet  three  inches  across  the  wings,  when  expanded. 
They  are  in  the  habit  of  alighting  upon  the  tops  of 
blighted  trees,  and  poles  of  any  kind,  which  hap- 
pen to  stand  conspicuously  apart  from  the  forest-trees, 
for  the  purpose,  probably,  of  watching  for  mice  and  little 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


163 


birds,  on  which  they  prey.  Taking  advantage  of  this 
habit,  the  Indian  plants  his  trap  on  the  top  of  a  bare  tree, 
60  that,  when  the  owl  alights,  it  is  generally  caught  by 
the  legs. 

Our  walk  back  to  the  place  where  we  had  left  the 
canoe  was  very  exhausting,  as  we  had  nearly  tired  our- 
selves out  before  thinking  of  returning.     This  is  very 
often  the  case  with  eager  sportsmen,  as  they  follow  the 
game  till  quite  exhausted,  and  only  then  it  strikes  them 
that  they  have  got  as  long  a  walk  back  as  they  had  in 
going  out.     I  recollect  this  happening  once  to  myself.     I 
had  walked  so  far  away  into  the  forest  after  wild-fowl, 
that  I  forgot  time  and  distance  in  the  ardor  of  the  pursuit, 
and  only  thought  of  returning  when  quite  knocked  up. 
The  walk  back  was  truly  wretched.     I  was  obliged  to 
rest  every  ten  minutes,  as,  besides  being  tired,  I  became 
faint  from  hunger.     On  the  way  I  stumbled  on  the  nest 
of  a  plover,  with  one  egg  in  it.    This  was  a  great  acqui- 
sition ;  so  seating  myself  on  a  stone,  I  made  my  dinner 
of  it  raw.     Being  very  small,  it  did  not  do  me  much  good, 
but  it  inspired  me  with  courage ;  and,  making  a  last  effort, 
I  reached  the  encampment  in  a  very  unenviable  state  of 
exhaustion. 

After  an  hour's  walk.  Crusty  and  I  arrived  at  the  place 
where  we  left  the  canoe. 

Our  first  care  was  to  select  a  dry  spot  whereon  to  sleep, 
which  was  not  an  easy  matter  in  such  a  swampy  place. 
"We  found  one  at  last,  however,  under  the  shelter  of  a 
small  willow  bush.  Thither  we  dragged  the  canoe,  and 
turned  it  bottom  up,  intending  to  creep  in  below  it  when 
we  retired  to  rest.  After  a  long  search  on  the  sea-shore, 
we  found  a  sufficiency  of  driftwood  to  make  a  fire,  which 
•we  carried  up  to  the  encampment,  and  placed  in  a  heap 


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164 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


in  front  of  the  canoe.  This  was  soon  kindled  by  means 
of  a  flint  and  steel,  and  the  forked  flames  began  in  a  few 
minutes  to  rise  and  leap  around  the  branches,  throwing 
the  swampy  Point  into  deepers  hadow,  making  the  sea 
look  cold  and  black,  and  the  ice  upon  its  surface  ghost- 
like. The  interior  of  our  inverted  canoe  looked  really 
quite  cheerful  and  snug,  under  the  influence  of  the  fire's 
rosy  light.  And  when  we  had  spread  our  blankets  under 
it,  plucked  and  cleaned  two  of  the  fattest  ducks,  and  stuck 
them  on  sticks  before  the  blaze  to  roast,  we  agreed  that 
there  were  worse  things  in  nature  than  an  encampment 
in  the  swamps. 

Ere  long  the  night  became  pitchy  dark  ;  but  although 
we  could  see  nothing,  yet  ever  and  anon  the  whistling 
wings  of  ducks  became  audible,  as  they  passed  in  flocks 
overhead.  So  often  did  they  pass  in  this  way,  that  at 
last  I  was  tempted  to  try  to  get  a  shot  at  them,  notwith- 
standing the  apparent  hopelessness  of  such  an  attempt. 
Seizing  my  gun,  and  leaving  strict  injunctions  with  Crusty 
to  attend  to  the  roasting  of  my  widgeon,  I  sallied  forth, 
and,  after  getting  beyond  the  light  of  the  fire,  endeavored 
to  peer  through  the  gloom.  Nothing  was  to  be  seen, 
however.  Flocks  of  ducks  were  passing  quite  near,  for 
I  heard  their  wings  whizzing  as  they  flew,  but  they  were 
quite  invisible  ;  so  at  last,  becoming  tired  of  standing  up 
to  my  knees  in  water,  I  pointed  my  gun  at  random  at  the 
next  flock  that  passed,  and  fired.  After  the  shot,  I  lis- 
tened intently  for  a  few  seconds,  and  the  next  moment  a 
splash  in  the  water  apprised  me  that  the  shot  had  taken 
effect.  After  a  long  search  I  found  the  bird,  and  re- 
turned to  my  Q'iend  Crusty,  whom  I  threw  into  a  state 
of  consternation  by  pitching  the  depd  duck  into  his  lap 
as  he  sat  winking  and  rubbing  his  hands  before  the  warm' 
blaze. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


165 


Supper  in  these  out-of-the-way  regions  is  never  long  in 
the  eating,  and  on  the  present  occasion  we  finished  it  very 
quickly,  being  both  hungry  and  fatigued.  That  over,  we 
heaped  fresh  logs  upon  the  fire,  wrapped  our  green 
blankets  round  us,  and,  nestling  close  together,  as  much 
underneath  our  canoe  as  possible,  courted  the  drowsy 
god.  In  this  courtship  I  was  unsuccessful  for  some  time, 
and  lay  gazing  on  the  flickering  flames  of  the  watch-fire, 
which  illuminated  the  grass  of  the  marsh  a  little  distance 
round,  and  listening,  in  a  sort  of  dreamy  felicity,  to  the 
occasional  cry  of  a  wakeful  plover,  or  starting  suddenly 
at  the  flapping  wings  of  a  huge  owl,  which,  attracted  by 
the  light  of  our  fire,  wheeled  slowly  round,  gazing  on  us 
in  a  kind  of  solemn  astonishment,  till,  scared  by  the 
sounds  that  proceeded  from  Crusty's  nasal  organ,  it  flew 
with  a  scream  into  the  dark  night  air ;  and  again  all 
was  silent  save  the  protracted,  solemn,  sweeping  boom  of 
the  distant  waves,  as  they  rolled  at  long  intervals  upon 
the  sea-shore.  During  the  night  we  were  awakened  by 
a  shower  of  rain  falling  upon  our  feet,  and  as  much  of 
our  legs  as  the  canoe  was  incapable  of  protecting.  Pall- 
ing them  up  more  under  shelter,  at  the  expense  of  ex- 
posing our  knees  and  elbows — for  the  canoe  could  not 
completely  cover  '.is—^we  each  gave  a  mournful  grunt, 
and  dropped  off  again. 

Morning  broke  with  unclouded  splendor,  and  we  rose 
from  our  grassy  couch  with  alacrity  to  resume  our  sport ; 
but  I  will  not  again  drag  my  patient  reader  through  the 
Point  of  Marsh. 

In  the  afternoon,  having  spent  our  ammunition,  we 
launched  our  light  canoe,  and  after  an  hour's  paddle  up 
the  river,  arrived,  laden  with  game  and  splashed  with 
mud,  at  York  Factory. 


'I  I 


li; 


I  ii  ; 


166 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


1 


hi 


CHAPTER  IX. 

VOYAGE  FROM  YORK  FACTORY  TO  NORWAY  HOUSE  IN  A  SMALL 

INDIAN  CANOE. 

ON  the  afternoon  of  the  20th  of  June,  1845,  I  sat  in 
my  room  at  York  Fort,  musing  on  the  probability  of 
my  being  despatched  to  some  other  part  of  the  Com- 
pany's wide  dominions. 

The  season  approached  when  changes  from  one  part 
of  the  country  to  another  might  be  expected,  and  boats 
♦egan  to  arrive  from  the  interior.  Two  years  of  fun  and 
frolic  had  I  spent  on  the  coast,  and  I  was  beginning  to 
wish  to  be  sent  once  more  upon  my  travels,  particularly 
as  the  busy  season  was  about  to  commence,  and  the  hot 
weather  to  set  in.  •  y: 

As  I  sat  cogitating,  my  brother  scribblers  called  me  to 
join  them  in  a  short  promenade  upon  the  wharf,  prepara- 
tory to  resuming  our  pens.  Just  as  we  reached  it,  a 
small  Indian  canoe  from  the  interior  swept  round  the 
Point  above  the  factory,  and  came  rapidly  forward,  the 
sparkling  water  foaming  past  her  sharp  bow  as  she  made 
towards  the  landing. 

At  almost  any  time  an  arrival  causes  a  great  deal 
of  interest  in  this  out-of-lhe  way  place  ;  but  an  arrival 
of  this  sort — for  the  canoe  was  evidently  an  express — 
threw  us  into  a  fever  of  excitement,  which  was  greatly 
increased  when  we  found  that  it  contained  despatches  from 
head-quarters ;   and    many  speculative    remarks   passed 


■'--■■'^4  ' 


M.r, 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


167 


among  us  as  we  hurried  up  to  our  hall,  there  to  wait  in 
anxious  expectation  for  a  letter  or  an  order  to  appear  in- 
stanter  before  Mr.  Grave.  Our  patience  was  severely 
tried,  however,  and  we  began  to  think  there  was  no  news 
at  all,  when  Gibeault,  the  butler,  turned  the  corner,  and 
came  towards  our  door.  We  immediately  rushed  towards 
it  in  breathless  expectation,  and  a  row  of  eager  faces 
appeared  as  he  walked  slowly  up  and  said,  "  Mr.  Grave 
wishes  to  see  Mr.  Bf^llaiityne  immediately."  On  hearing 
this  I  assumed  an  appearance  of  calm  indiiierence  I 
was  far  from  feeling,  put  on  my  cap,  and  obeyed  the 
order. 

Upon  entering  Mr.  Grave's  presence,  he  received  me 
with  a  benign,  patronizing  air,  and  requested  me  to  be 
seated.  He  then  went  on  to  inform  me  that  letters  had 
just  arrived,  requesting  that  I  might  be  sent  off  immedi'* 
ately  to  Norway  House,  where  I  should  be  enlightened 
as  to  my  ultimate  destination.  This  piece  of  news  I 
received  with  mingled  surprise  and  delight,  at  the  same 
time  exclaiming  "  Indeed ! "  with  peculiar  emphasis  ;  and 
then,  becoming  suddenly  aware  of  the  impropriety  of  the 
expression,  I  endeavored  to  follow  it  up  with  a  look  of 
sorrow  at  the  prospect  of  leaving  my  friends,  combined 
with  resignation  to  the  will  of  the  Honorable  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  in  which  attempt  I  failed  most  signally. 
After  receiving  orders  to  prepare  for  an  immediate  start, 
I  rushed  out  in  a  state  of  high  excitement,  to  acquaint 
my  comrades  with  my  good  fortune.  On  entering  the 
hall,  I  found  them  as  anxious  to  know  where  I  was  des- 
tined to  vegetate  next  winter,  as  they  before  had  been  to 
learn  who  was  going  off.  Having  satisfied  them  on  this 
point,  or  rather  told  them  as  much  as  I  knew  myself  re- 
garding it,  I  proceeded  to  pack  up. 


\m 


\   i 


168 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


It  happened  just  at  this  time  that  a  brigade  of  inland 
boats  was  on  the  eve  of  starting  for  the  distant  regions 
of  the  interior ;  and  as  the  little  canoe,  destined  to  carry 
myself,  was  much  too  small  to  take   such  an  unwieldy 
article  as  my  "  cassette,"  I  gladly  availed  myself  of  the 
opportunity  to  forward  it  by  the  boats,  as   they  would 
have  to  pass  Norway  House  en  route.     It  would  be  end- 
less to  detail  how  I  spent  the  next  three  days ;  how  I 
never  appeared  in  public  without  walking  very  fast,  as  if 
pressed  with  a  superhuman  amount  of  business  ;  how  I 
rummaged  about  here  and  there,  seeing  that  everything , 
was  prepared ;  looking  vastly  important,  and  thinking  I 
was  immensely  busy,  when  in  reality  I  was  doing  next  to 
nothing.     I  shall,  therefore,  without  further  preface,  pro- 
ceed to  describe  my  travelling  equipments. 
^    The  canoe  in  which  I  and  two  Indians  were  to  travel 
from  York  Factory  to  Norway  House,  a  distance  of  nearly 
three   hundred   miles,  measured   between  five  and  six 
yards  long,  by  two  feet  and  a  half  broad  in  the  middle, 
tapering  from  thence  to  nothing  at  each  end.      It  was 
made  of  birch  bark,  and  could  with  great  ease  be  carried 
by  one  man.     In  this  we  were  to  embark,  with  ten  days' 
provisions  for  three   men,   three   blankets,   three    small 
bundles,  and  a  little  travelling  case  belonging  to  myself; 
besides  three  paddles  wherewith  to  propel  us  forward,  a 
tin  kettle  for  cooking,  and  an  iron  one  for  boiling  water. 
Our  craft  being  too  small  to  permit  my  taking  the  usual 
allowance  of  what  are  called  luxuries,  I  determined  to 
take  potluck  with  my  men,  so  that  our  existence  for  the 
next  eight  or  ten  days  was  to  depend  upon  the  nutritive 
properties  contained  in  a  few  pounds  of  pemmican,  a  little 
biscuit,  one  pound  of  butter,  and  a  very  small  quantity  of 
tea  and  sugar.     With  all  this,  in  addition  to  ourselves, 
we  calculated  upon  being  pretty  deeply  laden. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


169 


md 
ions 


My  men  were  of  the  tribe  called  Swampy  Crees,  and 
truly,  to  judge  merely  from  appearance,  they  would  have 
been  the  very  last  I  should  have  picked  out  to  travel 
with ;  for  one  was  old,  apparently  upwards  of  fifty,  and 
the  other,  though  young,  was  a  cripple.  Nevertheless, 
they  were  good  hard-working  men,  as  I  afterwards  ex- 
perienced. I  did  not  take  a  tent  with  me,  our  craft 
requiring  to  be  as  light  as  possible,  but  I  rolled  up  a 
mosquito-net  in  my  blanket,  that  being  a  light  aflfair  of 
gauze,  capable  of  compression  into  very  small  compass. 
Such  were  our  equipments  ;  and  on  the  23d  of  June  we 
started  for  the  interior. 

A  melancholy  feeling  came  over  me  as  I  turned  and 
looked  for  the  last  time  upon  York  Factory,  where  I  had 
spent  so  many  happy  days  with  the  young  men  who  now 
stood  waving  their  handkerchiefs  from  the  wharf.  Mr. 
Grave,  too,  stood  among  them,  and  as  I  looked  on  his 
benevolent  manly  countenance,  I  felt  that  I  should  ever 
remember  with  gratitude  his  kindness  to  me  while  we 
resided  together  on  the  shores  of  lludsous  Bay.  A  few 
minutes  more,  and  the  fort  was  liid  from  my  siglit  for- 
ever. 

My  disposition  is  not  a  sorrowful  one ;  I  never  did  and 
never  could  remain  long  in  a  melancholy  mood,  which  will 
account  for  the  state  of  feeling  I  enjoyed  half  an  hour 
after  losing  sight  of  my  late  home.  The  day  was  fine, 
and  I  began  to  anticipate  a  pleasant  journey,  and  to  spec- 
ulate as  to  what  part  of  the  country  I  might  be  sent  to. 
The  whole  wide  continent  of  North  America  was  now 
open  to  the  excursive  flights  of  my  imagination,  as  there 
was  a  possibility  of  ray  being  sent  to  any  one  of  the 
numerous  stations  in  the  extensive  territories  of  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company.     Sometimes  I  fancied  myself  rang- 


■4 


III! 
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^u 


u 


m ,')     ; 


?'f  iii 


170  HUDSON'S  BAY. 

ing  through  the  wild  district  of  Mackenzie's  River, 
admiring  the  scenery  described  by  Franklin  and  Back 
in  their  travels  of  discovery ;  and  unon,  as  the  tales  of 
my  companions  occurred  to  rae,  I  was  bounding  over  the 
prairies  of  the  Saskatchewan  in  chase  of  the  buffalo,  or 
descending  the  rapid  waters  of  the  Columbia  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  Again  my  fancy  wandered,  and  I  imag- 
ined myself  hunting  the  grizzly  bear  in  the  woods  of 
Athabasca,  when  a  heavy  lurch  of  the  canoe  awakened 
me  to  the  flxct  that  I  was  only  ascending  the  sluggish 
waters  of  Hayes  River. 

The  banks  of  the  river  were  covered  with  huge  blocks 
of  ice,  and  scarcely  a  leaf  had  as  yet  made  its  appear- 
ance. Not  a  bird  was  to  be  seen,  except  a  few  crows 
and  whisky-jacks,  which  chattered  among  the  branches  of 
the  trees,  and  Nature  appeared  as  if  undecided  whether 
or  not  she  should  take  another  nap,  ere  she  bedecked  her- 
self in  the  garments  of  spring.  My  Indians  paddled 
slowly  against  the  stream,  and  I  lay  back,  with  a  leg 
cocked  over  each  gunwale,  watching  the  sombre  pines  as 
they  dropped  slowly  astern.  On  our  way  we  passed  two 
landslips,  which  encroached  a  good  deal  on  the  river,  each 
forming  a  small  rapid  round  its  base.  The  trees  with 
which  they  had  formerly  becni  clothed  were  now  scat- 
tered about  in  chaotic  confusion,  leafless,  and  covered 
with  mud ;  some  more  than  half  buried,  and  others  stand- 
ing with  their  roots  in  the  air.  There  is  a  tradition 
among  the  natives  that  a  whole  camp  of  Indians  was 
overwhelmed  in  the  falling  of  these  slips. 

A  good  deal  of  danger  is  incurred  in  passing  up  these 
rivers,  owing  to  the  number  of  small  landslips  which 
occur  annually.  Thu  banks,  lielng  principnlly  composed 
of  sandy  clay,  are  loosened,  and  rendered  almost  fluid  in 


nUDSON'S  BAY. 


171 


many  places,  upon  the  melting  of  the  snow  in  spring ; 
and  the  ice  during  the  general  disruption  tears  away 
large  masses  of  the  lower  part  of  the  banks,  which  ren- 
ders the  superincumbent  clay  liable  to  slip,  upon  the  first 
heavy  shower  of  rain,  with  considerable  force  into  the 
stream. 

About  sixteen  miles  from  York  Factory  we  ran  against 
a  stone,  and  tore  a  small  hole  in  the  bottom  of  our  canoe. 
This  obliged  us  to  put  ashore  immediately,  when  I  had  an 
opportunity  of  watching  the  swiftness  and  dexterity  of 
the  Indians  in  repairing  the  damage.  A  small  hole, 
about  three  inches  long  and  one  inch  wide,  had  been  torn 
ill  the  bottom  of  the  canoe,  through,  which  the  water 
squirted  with  considerable  rapidity.  Into  this  hole  they 
fitted  a  piece  of  bark,  sewed  it  with  wattape  (the  fibrous 
roots  of  the  pine-tree),  made  a  small  fire,  melted  gum, 
and  plastered  the  place  so  as  to  be  effectually  water-tight, 
all  in  about  the  space  of  an  hour. 

During  the  day  we  passed  a  brigade  of  boats  bound 
for  tlic  factory;  but  being  too  far  off,  and  in  a  rapid  part 
of  the  river,  we  did  not  hail  them.  About  nine  o'clock 
we  put  ashore  for  the  night,  having  travelled  nearly 
twenty  miles.  The  weather  was  pleasantly  cool,  so  that 
we  were  free  from  raosquitos.  The  spot  we  chose  for 
our  encampment  was  on  the  edge  of  a  high  bank,  being 
the  only  place  within  three  miles  where  we  could  carry 
up  our  provisions ;  and  even  here  the  ascent  was  bad 
enough ;  but,  after  we  were  up,  the  top  proved  a  good 
spot,  covered  with  soft  moss,  and  well  sheltered  by  trees 
and  bushes.  A  brook  of  fresh  water  rippled  at  the  foot 
of  the  bank,  and  a  few  decayed  trees  afforded  us  ex- 
cellent firewood.  Here,  then,  in  the  bosom  of  the  wil- 
dernesd,  wljh  the  sijyery  light  of  the  moon  for  our  lamp, 


if! 


■1  ■•  >i 

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172 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


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and  Horcnnded  by  a  solitary  owl,  wo  tuade  our  firfct 
bivouac;.  Suj)j)er  was  neatly  laid  ou  on  an  oil-cloth, 
spread  before  a  blazing  fire.  A  huge  junk  of  peminican 
grao(Ml  the  centre  of  O'lr  rustic  table,  flanked  by  a  small 
pile  of  ship's  biscuit  on  one  side,  and  a  lump  of  salt 
butter  on  the  other  ;  while  a  large  iron  kettle  filled  with 
hot  water,  slightly  flavored  with  tea-leavesi,  brought  up 
the  rear.  Two  tin  pots  and  a  tumbler  performed  out- 
post duty,  and  were  soon  noking  full  of  warm  tea. 
We  made  an  excellent  sup  >  r,  after  which  the  Indians 
proceeded  to  solace  themselves  with  a  whiff",  while  I  lay 
on  my  blanket  enjoying  the  warmth  of  the  fire,  and  ad- 
miring the  a[tparently  extreme  felicity  of  the  men,  aa 
they  sat,  with  half-closed  eyes,  watching  the  smoke  curl- 
ing in  snowy  wreaths  from  their  pipes,  and  varying  their 
employment  now  and  then  with  a  pull  .at  the  tin  pots, 
which  seemed  to  aflord  them  extreme  satisfaction.  In 
this  manner  we  lay  till  the  moon  waned ;  and  the  owl 
having  finished  his  overture,  we  rolled  ourselves  in  our 
blankets,  and  watched  the  twinkling  stars  till  sleep  closed 
our  eyelids. 

Next  morning,  between  two  and  three  o'clock,  we  be- 
gan to  stretch  our  limbs,  and  after  a  few  ill-humored 
grunts,  prepared  for  a  start.  The  morning  was  foggy 
when  we  embarked,  and  once  more  began  to  ascend  the 
stream.  Everything  was  obscure  nnd  indistinct  till  about 
six  o'clock,  when  the  powerful  rays  of  the  rising  sun  dis- 
]ielled  the  mist,  and  Nature  was  herself  again.  A  good 
deal  of  ice  still  lined  the  shores  ;  but  what  astonished  me 
most  was  the  advanced  state  ot  vegetation  apparent  as 
we  proceeded  inland.  When  we  left  York  Factory,  not 
a  leaf  had  been  visible  ;  but  here,  though  only  tliirty 
miles  inland,  the  trees,  and  more  particularly  the  bushes, 


m^t 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


173 


Mf' 


M'j 


were  well  covered  with  boiuitiful  light  green  foliage, 
which  Hppcared  to  me  qiiit«!  delightful,  after  the  patches 
of  8110W  and  leafless  willows  on  the  shores  of  Hudson's 

Bay. 

At  eight  o'clock  we  put  ashore  for  breakfast,  which 
was  just  a  repetition  of  the  supper  of  the  preceding 
night,  with  this  exception,  that  we  discussed  it  a  little 
more  hurriedly,  and  then  proceeded  on  our  way. 

Shortly  afterwards  we  met  a  small  canoe,  about  the 
size  of  o!  \vn,  which  contained  a  postmaster  an<l  i.vo 
Indi  >'  "''   way  to  York  Factory  with  a  fc^'  ir;ji,kf* 

of  oti.  five  minutes'  conversation  wc  par)*-', 

and  W'  out  of  sight  of  each  other.      The  day, 

which  hud  hitiierto  been  agreeable,  now  became  oppres- 
sively sultry ;  not  a  breath  of  wind  ruffled  the  water ; 
and  as  the  sun  shone  down  with  intense  heat  from  a 
perfectly  cloudless  sky,  it  became  almost  insufferable. 
I  tried  all  methods  to  cool  myself,  by  lying  in  every  posi- 
tion I  could  think  of,  sometimes  even  hanging  both  legs 
and  arms  over  the  sides  of  the  canoe  and  trailing  them 
through  the  water.  1  had  a  racking  headache,  and,  to 
add  to  my  misery,  as  the  sun  sank,  the  mosquitos  rose 
and  bit  ferociously.  The  Indians,  however,  did  not  ap- 
pear to  suffer  much,  being  accustomed,  no  doubt,  to  these 
little  annoyances,  mucli  in  the  same  way  as  eels  are  to 
being  skinned. 

In  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  the  forks  of  Hayes  and 
Steel  Rivers,  and  ascended  the  latter,  till  the  increasing 
darkness  and  our  quickening  appetites  reminded  us  that 
it  was  time  to  put  ashore.  We  made  a  hearty  supper, 
having  eaten  nothing  since  breakfast  ;  dinner,  while 
travelling  in  a  light  canoe,  being  considered  quite  super- 
fluous. 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  873-4503 


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174 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


-  4- 


1-1 


Our  persevering  foes,  the  mosqultos,  now  thought  it 
high  time  to  make  their  supper  also,  and  attacked  us  in 
myriads  whenever  we  dared  to  venture  near  the  woods  ; 
so  we  were  fain  to  sleep  as  best  we  could  on  the  open 
beach,  without  any  fire,  being  much  too  warm  for  that ; 
but  even  there  they  found  us  out,  and  most  effectually 
prevented  us  from  sleeping. 

On  the  morning  of  the  25  th,  we  arose  very  little  re- 
freshed by  our  short  nap,  and  continued  our  journey. 
The  weather  was  still  warm,  but  a  little  more  bearable, 
owing  to  a  light  grateful  breeze  that  came  down  the  river. 
After  breakfast,  which  we  took  at  the  usual  hour,  and  in 
the  usual  way,  while  proceeding  slowly  up  the  current, 
we  descried,  on  rounding  a  point,  a  brigade  of  boats  close 
to  the  bank,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river ;  so  we  em- 
barked our  man,  who  was  tracking  us  up  with  a  line,  (the 
current  being  too  rapid  for  the  continued  use  of  the  pad- 
dle,) and  crossed  over  to  see  who  they  were.  On  land- 
ing, we  found  it  was  the  Norway  House  brigade,  in 
charge  of  George  Kippling,  a  Red  Piver  settler.  He 
shook  hands  with  us,  and  then  commenced  an  animated 
discourse  with  my  two  men  in  the  Indian  language,  which 
being  perfectly  unintelligible  to  me,  I  amused  myself  by 
watching  the  operations  of  the  men,  who  were  in  the  act 
of  cooking  breakfast. 

Nothing  can  be  more  picturesque  than  a  band  of  voya- 
gears  breakfasting  on  the  banks  of  a  pretty  river.  The 
spot  they  had  chosen  was  a  little  above  the  Burnt  wood 
Creek,  on  a  projecting  grassy  point,  pretty  clear  of  under- 
wood. Each  boat's  crew,  of  which  there  were  three,  had 
a  fire  to  itself,  and  over  these  fires  were  placed  gypsy-like 
tripods,  from  which  huge  tin  kettles  depended,  and  abov  3 
them  hovered  three  volunteer  cooks,  who  were  employed 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


175 


stirring  their  contents  with  persevering  industry.  The 
curling  wreaths  of  smoke  formed  a  black  cloud  among  the 
numerous  fleecy  ones  in  the  blue  sky,  while  all  around,  in 
every  imaginable  attitude,  sat,  stood,  and  reclined,  the  sun- 
burnt, savage-looking  half-breeds,  chatting,  laughing,  and 
smoking  in  j,  feet  happiness.  They  were  all  dressed 
alike,  in  light  cloth  capotes  with  hoods,  corduroy  trousers, 
striped  shirts  open  in  front,  with  cotton  kerchiefs  tied 
sailor-fashion  loosely  round  their  swarthy  necks.  A 
scarlet  worsted  belt  strapped  each  man's  coat  tightly  to 
his  body,  and  Indian  moccasins  defended  their  feet. 
Their  head-dresses  were  as  various  as  fanciful — some 
wore  caps  of  coarse  cloth,  others  colored  handkerchiefs, 
twisted  turban-fashion  round  their  heads  ;  and  one  or 
two,  who  might  be  looked  upon  as  voyageur  fops,  sported 
black  beaver  hats  covered  so  plenteously  with  bullion 
tassels  and  feathers  as  to  be  scarcely  recognizable. 

The  breakfast  consisted  solely  of  pemmican  and  flour, 
boiled  into  the  sort  of  thick  soup  dignified  by  the  name 
of  rohhihoo.  As  might  be  expected,  it  is  not  a  very  deli- 
cate dish,  but  is,  nevertheless,  exceedingly  nutritious ;  and 
those  who  have  lived  long  in  the  country,  particularly  the 
Canadians,  are  very  fond  of  it.  I  think,  however,  that 
another  of  their  dishes,  composed  of  the  same  materials, 
but  fried  instead  of  boiled,  is  much  superior  to  it.  They 
call  it  richeau ;  it  i3  uncommonly  rich,  and  ^ery  little 
will  suffice  for  an  ordinary  man. 

After  staying  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  chatting  with 
Kippling  about  the  good  folks  of  Red  River  and  Nor- 
way House,  we  took  our  departure  just  as  they  com- 
menced the  first  vigorous  attack  upon  the  capacious  ket- 
tles of  robbiboo. 

Shortly  after,  we  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  Hill  River, 


\\'.- 


W    I: 


176 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


which  we  began  to  ascend.  The  face  of  the  country 
was  now  greatly  changed,  and  it  was  evident  that  here 
spring  had  long  ago  dethroned  winter.  The  banks  of  the 
river  were  covered  from  top  to  bottom  with  the  most  lux- 
uriant foliage,  while  dark  clumps  of  spruce-fir  varied  and 
improved  the  landscape.  In  many  places  the  banks, 
which  appeared  to  be  upwards  of  a  hundred  feet  high, 
ran  almost  perpendicularly  down  to  the  water's  edge, 
perfectly  devoid  of  vegetation,  except  at  the  top,  where 
large  trees  overhung  the  precipice,  some  clinging  by  their 
roots  and  ready  to  fall.  In  other  places  the  banks  sloped 
from  nearly  the  same  height,  gradually,  and  with  slight 
undulations,  down  to  the  stream,  thickly  covered  with 
veget  >ion,  and  teeming  with  little  birds,  whose  merry 
voices,  warbling  a  cheerful  welcome  to  the  opening  buds, 
greatly  enhanced  the  pleasures  of  the  scene. 

We  soon  began  to  experience  great  diificulty  in  track- 
ing the  canoe  against  the  rapid  stream  that  now  opposed 
us.  From  the  steepness  of  the  banks  in  some  places, 
and  their  being  clothed  with  thick  willows  in  others,  it 
became  a  slow  and  fatiguing  process  for  our  men  to  drag 
us  against  the  strong  current,  and  somevimes  the  poor 
Indians  had  to  cling  like  flies  against  nea^  oerpendicu- 
lar  cliffs  of  slippery  clay,  whilst  at  others  ./  tore  their 
way  through  almost  impervious  bushes.  They  relieved 
each  other  by  turns  every  hour  at  this  work,  the  one 
steering  the  canoe  while  the  other  tracked,  and  they  took 
no  rest  during  the  whole  day,  except  when  at  breakfast. 
Indeed,  any  proposal  to  do  so  would  have  been  received 
by  them  with  great  contempt,  as  a  very  improper  and 
useless  waste  of  time. 

When  the  track  happened  to  be  at  all  passable,  I  used 
to  get  out  and  walk,  to  relieve  them  a  little,  as  well  as  to 


h 
o; 
tl 
oJ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


177 


stretch  my  cramped  limbs,  it  being  almost  impossible, 
when  there  is  any  luggage  in  a  small  Indian  canoe,  to 
attain  a  comfortable  position. 

At  sunset  we  put  ashore  for  the  night,  on  a  point  cov- 
ered with  a  great  number  of  lopsticks.    These  are  tall 
pine-trees,  denuded  of  their  lower  branches,  a  small  tuft 
being  left  at  the  top.     They  are  generally  made  to  serve 
as  landmarks,  and  sometimes  the  voyageurs  make  them  in 
honor  of  gentlemen  who  happen  to  be  travelling  for  the 
first  time  along  the  route,  and  those  trees  are  chosen, 
which  from  their  being  on  elevated  ground,  are  conspicu- 
ous objects.    The  traveller  for  whom  they  are  made  is 
always  expected  to  acknowledge  his  sense  of  the  honor 
conferred  upon  him  by  presenting  the  boat's  crew  with  a 
pint  of  grog,  either  on  the  spot  or  at  the  first  establish- 
ment they  meet  with.     He  is  then  considered  as  having- 
paid  for  his  footing,  and  may  ever  afterwards  pass  scot- 
free. 

We  soon  had  our  encampment  prepared,  and  the  fire 
blazing  ;  but  hundreds  of  mosquitos  were,  as  usual, 
awaiting  our  arrival,  and  we  found  it  utterly  impossible 
to  sup,  so  fiercely  did  they  attack  us.  "We  at  last  went 
to  leeward  of  the  fire,  and  devoured  it  hastily  in  the 
smoke,  preferring  to  risk  being  suffocated  or  smoke-dried 
to  being  eaten  up  alive !  It  was  certainly  amusing  to 
see  us  rush  into  the  thick  smoke,  bolt  a  few  mouthfuls 
of  pemmican,  and  then  rush  out  again  for  fresh  air ;  our 
hands  swinging  like  the  sails  of  a  windmill  round  our 
heads,  while  every  now  and  then,  as  a  mosquito  fastened 
on  a  tender  part,  we  gave  ourselves  a  resounding  slap  on 
the  side  of  the  head,  which,  had  it  come  from  the  hand 
of  another,  would  certainly  have  raised  in  us  a  most 
pugnacious  spirit  of  resentment.     In  this  manner  we 

12 


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178 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


continued  rushing  out  of  and  into  the  smoke,  till  supper 
was  finished,  and  then  prepared  for  sleep.  This  time, 
however,  I  was  determined  not  to  be  tormented  ;  so  I  cut 
four  stakes,  drove  them  into  the  ground,  and  threw  over 
them  my  gauze  mosquito-net,  previously  making  a  small 
fire,  with  wet  grass  on  it,  to  raise  a  smoke  and  prevent 
intruders  from  entering  while  I  was  in  the  act  of  putting 
it  on ;  then,  cautiously  raising  one  end,  I  bolted  ^n  after 
the  most  approved  harlequinian  style,  leaving  my  dis- 
comfited tormentors  wondering  at  the  audacity  of  a  man 
who  could  snore  in  a  state  of  unconcerned  felicity  in  the 
very  midst  of  the  enemy's  camp. 

On  the  following  morning  we  started  at  an  early  hour. 
The  day  was  delightfully  cool,  and  mosquitos  were  scarce, 
so  that  we  felt  considerably  comfortable  as  we  glided  qui- 
etly up  the  current.  In  this  way  we  proceeded  till  after 
breakfast,  when  we  came  in  sight  of  the  first  portage,  on 
which  we  landed.  In  a  surprisingly  short  time  our  lug- 
gage, &c.,  was  pitched  ashore,  and  the  canoe  carried  over 
by  the  Indians,  while  I  followed  with  some  of  the  bag- 
gage ;  and  in  half  an  hour  we  were  ready  to  start  from 
the  upper  end  of  the  portage.  While  carrying  across 
the  last  few  articles,  one  of  the  Indians  killed  two  fish 
called  suckers,  which  they  boiled  on  the  spot  and  de- 
voured immediately. 

Towards  sunset  we  paddled  quietly  up  to  the  "  White 
Mud  Portage,"  where  there  is  a  fall,  of  about  seven  or 
eight  feet,  of  extreme  rapidity,  shooting  over  the  edge  in 
an  arch  of  solid  water,  which  falls  hissing  and  curling 
into  the  stream  below.  Here  we  intended  to  encamp. 
As  we  approached  the  cataract,  a  boat  suddenly  appeared 
on  the  top  of  it,  and  shot  with  the  speed  of  lightning 
into  the  boiling  water  beneath,  its  reckless  crew  shouting. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


179 


per 
me, 
cut 
ver 
nail 
rent 


pulling,  laughing,  and  hallooing,  as  it  swept  round  a  small 
point  at  the  foot  of  the  fall,  and  ?an  aground  in  a  bay  or 
hollow,  where  the  eddying  water,  still  covered  with 
patches  of  foam  after  its  mighty  leap,  floated  quietly 
round  the  shore.  They  had  scarcely  landed,  when 
another  boat  appeared  on  the  brink,  and  hovering  for  an 
instant,  as  if  to  prepare  itself  for  the  leap,  flashed 
through  the  water,  and  the  next  moment  was  aground 
beside  the  first.  In  this  manner  seven  boats  successively 
ran  the  fall,  and  grounded  in  the  bay. 

Upon  our  arriving,  we  found  them  to  be  a  part  of  the 
Saskatchewan  brigade,  on  its  way  to  the  common  point 
of  rendezvous,  York  Factory.  It  was  in  charge  of  two 
friends  of  mine ;  so  I  accosted  them,  without  introducing 
myself,  and  chatted  for  some  time  about  the  occurrences 
of  the  voyage.  They  appeared  a  little  disconcerted, 
however,  and  looked  very  earnestly  at  me  two  or  three 
times.  At  last,  they  confessed  they  had  forgotten  me 
altogether  !  And  indeed,  it  was  no  wonder,  for  the  sun 
had  burned  me  nearly  as  black  as  my  Indian  friends, 
while  my  dress  consisted  of  a  blue  capote,  sadly  singed 
with  the  fire — a  straw  hat,  whose  shape,  from  exposure 
and  bad  usage,  was  utterly  indescribable — a  pair  of  cor- 
duroys, and  Indian  moccasins  ;  which  so  metamorphosed 
me,  that  my  friends,  who  perfectly  recollected  me  the  mo- 
ment I  mentioned  my  name,  might  have  remained  in  igno- 
rance to  this  day  had  I  not  enlightened  them  on  the  subject. 

After  supper  one  of  these  gentlemen  offered  me  a 
share  of  his  tent,  and  we  turned  in  together,  but  not  to 
sleep;  for  we  continued  gossiping  till  long  after  the 
noisy  voices  of  the  men  had  ceased  to  disturb  the  tran- 
quillity of  night. 

At  the  first  peep,  of  day  our  ears  were  saluted  with 


i  I 


ii 


180 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


tx 


the  usual  unpleasant  sound  of  "  Live  !  live  !  live  !  "  issu- 
ing from  the  leathern  throat  of  the  guide.  Now  this 
same  "  Live  !  "  is  in  ray  ears  a  peculiarly  harsh  and  dis- 
agreeable word,  being  associated  with  frosty  mornings, 
uncomfortable  beds,  and  getting  up  in  the  dark  before 
half  enough  of  sleep  has  been  obtained.  The  way  in 
which  it  is  uttered,  too,  is  particularly  exasperating ;  and 
often,  when  partially  awakened  by  a  stump  boring  a  hole 
in  my  side,  have  I  listened  with  dread  to  hear  the  de- 
tested fOund,  and  then,  fancying  it  must  surely  be  too 
early  to  rise,  have  fallen  gently  over  on  the  other  side, 
when  a  low  muffled  sound,  as  if  some  one  were  throwing 
oflT  his  blanket,  would  strike  upon  my  ear,  then  a  cough 
or  grunt,  and  finally,  as  if  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth, 
a  low  and  scarcely  audible  "  Live  !  live  !  "  would  break 
the  universal  stillness,  growing  rapidly  louder,  "  Live ! 
live  !  live  !  "  and  louder,  "  Live !  live  !  "  till  at  last  a 
final  stentorian  "  Live  I  live !  live  !  "  brought  the  hate- 
ful sound  tb  a  close,  and  was  succeeded  by  a  confused  col- 
lection of  grunts,  groans,  coughs,  grumbles,  and  sneezes, 
from  the  unfortunate  sleepers  thus  rudely  roused  from 
their  slumbers.  The  disinclination  to  rise,  however,  was 
soon  overcome ;  and  up  we  got,  merry  as  larks,  the  men 
loading  their  boats,  while  I  and  my  Indians  carried  our 
luggage,  &c.,  over  the  portage. 

Our  troubles  now  commenced ;  the  longest  and  most 
difficult  part  of  the  route  lay  before  us,  and  we  prepared 
for  a  day  of  toil.  Far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  the  river 
was  white  with  boiling  rapids  and  foaming  cascades, 
which,  though  small,  were  much  too  large  to  ascend,  and 
consequently  we  were  obliged  to  make  portages  at  almost 
every  two  or  three  hundred  yards.  Rapid  after  rapid 
was  surmounted;  yet  still,  as  we   rounded  every  point 


'J 
•e 


le 


IV, 


a 


t  ■» 


; 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


181 


and  curve,  rapids  and  falls  rose,  in  apparently  endless 
succession,  before  our  wearied  eyes.     My  Indians,  how- 
ever, knew  exactly  the  number  they  had  to  ascend,  so 
they  set  themselves  manfully  to  the  task.     I  couid  not 
he'p  admiring  the  dexterous  way  in  which  they  guided 
the  canoe  among  the  rapids.     Upon  arriving  at  one,  the 
old  Indian,  who  always  sat  in  the  bow,  (this  being  the 
principal  seat  in  canoe  travelling,)  rose  up  on  his  knees 
and  stretched  out  his  neck  to  take  a  look  before  com- 
mencing the  attempt ;  and  then,  sinking  down  again,  seized 
his  paddle,  and  pointing  significantly  to  the  chaos  of  boil- 
ing waters  that  rushed  swiftly  past  us,    (tiius  indicating 
•  the  route  he  intended  to  pursue  to  his  partner  in  the 
stern,)  dashed  into  the  stream.    At  first  we  were  borne 
down  with  the  speed  of  lightning,  while  the  water  hissed 
and  boiled  to  within  an  inch  of  the  gunwale,  and  a  per- 
son unaccustomed  to  such  navigation  would  have  thought 
it  folly  our  attempting  to  ascend ;  but  a  second  glance 
would  prove  that  our  Indians  had  not  acted  rashly.     In 
the  centre  of  the  impetuous  current  a  large  rock  rose 
above  the  surface,  and  from  its  lower  end  a  long  eddy 
ran  like  the  tail  of  a  comet  for  about  twenty  yards  down 
the  river.      It  was  just  opposite  this  rock  that  we  en- 
tered the  rapid,  and  paddled  for  it  with  all  our  might. 
The  current,  however,  as  I  said  before,  swept  us  down  ; 
and  when  we  got  to  the  middle  of  the  streiti  -.  we  just 
reached  the  extreme  point  of  the  eddy,  and  after  a  few 
vigorous  strokes  of  the  paddles  were  floating  quietly  in 
the   lee   of   the  rock.     We  did  not  stay  long,  however 
— just  long  enough  to  look  for  another  stone,  and  the  old 
Indian  soon  pitched  upon  one  a  few  yards  higher  up,  but 
a  good  deal  to  one  side ;  so,  dipping  our  paddles  once 
more,  we  pushed  out  into  the  stream  again,  and   soon 


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I 

if 


11 


mn-' 


182 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


!.■ 


«■  ,f  i'  H 


reached  the  second  rock.  In  this  way,  yard  by  yard, 
did  we  ascend  for  miles,  sometimes  scarcely  gaining  a 
foot  in  a  minute,  and  at  others,  as  a  favoring  bay  or 
curve  presented  a  long  piece  of  smooth  water,  advancing 
more  rapidly.  In  fact,  our  progress  could  not  be  likened 
to  anything  more  aptly  than  to  the  ascent  of  a  salmon  as 
he  darts  rapidly  from  eddy  to  eddy,  taking  advantage  of 
every  stone  and  hollow  that  he  finds ;  and  the  simile 
may  be  still  further  carried  out ;  for,  as  the  salmon  is 
sometimes  driven  back  tail  foremost  in  attempting  to  leap 
a  fall,  so  were  we,  in  a  similar  attempt,  driven  back  by 
t)ie  overpowering  force  of  the  water. 

It  happened  thus :  we  had  surmounted  a  good  many 
rapids,  and  made  a  few  portages,  when  we  arrived  at  a 
perpendicular  fall  of  about  two  feet  in  height,  but  from 
the  rapidity  of  the  current  it  formed  only  a  very  steep 
shoot.  Here  the  Indians  paused  to  breathe,  and  seemed 
to  doubt  the  possibility  of  ascent ;  however,  after  a  little 
conversation  on  the  subject,  they  determined  to  try  it, 
and  got  out  their  poles  for  the  purpose,  (poles  being  al- 
ways used  when  the  current  is  too  strong  for  the  pad- 
dles.) "We  now  made  a  dash,  and  turning  the  bow  to 
the  current,  the  Indians  fixed  their  poles  firmly  in  the 
ground,  while  the  water  rushed  like  a  mill-race  past  us. 
They  then  pushed  forward,  one  keeping  his  pole  fixed 
while  the  other  refixed  his  a  little  more  ahead.  In  this 
way  we  advanced  inch  by  inch,  and  had  almost  got  up — 
the  water  rushing  past  us  in  a  thick  black  body,  hissing 
sharply  in  passing  the  side  of  our  canoe,  which  trembled 
like  a  reed  before  the  powerful  current — when  suddenly 
the  pole  of  the  Indian  in  the  stem  slipped ;  and  almost 
before  I  knew  what  had  happened,  we  were  floating  down 
the  stream  about  a  hundred  yards  below  the  fall.     For- 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


188 


tunately  the  canoe  went  stern  foremost,  so  that  we  got 
down  in  safety.  Had  it  turned  round  even  a  little  in  its 
descent,  it  would  have  been  rolled  over  and  over  like  a 
cask.  Our  second  attempt  proved  more  successful ;  and 
afler  a  good  deal  of  straining  and  puffing  we  arrived  at 
the  top,  where  the  sight  of  a  longer  stretch  than  usual  of 
calm  and  placid  water  rewarded  us  for  our  exertions 
during  the  day. 

In  passing  over  a  portage  we  met  the  English  River 
brigade  ;  and,  after  a  little  conversation,  we  parted.  The 
evening  was  deliciously  cool  and  serene  as  we  glided 
quietly  up  the  now  tranquil  river.  Numbers  of  little 
islets,  covered  to  the  very  edge  of  the  rippling  water  witji 
luxuriant  vegetation,  rose  like  emeralds  from  the  bosom 
of  the  broad  river,  shining  brightly  in  the  rays  of  the 
setting  sun  ;  sometimes  so  closely  scattered  as  to  veil  the 
real  size  of  the  river,  which,  upon  our  again  emerging 
from  among  them,  burst  upon  our  delighted  vision  a 
broad  sheet  of  clear  pellucid  water,  with  beautiful  fresh 
banks  covered  with  foliage  of  every  shade,  from  the  dark 
and  sombre  pine  to  the  light  drooping  willow ;  while  near 
the  shore  a  matronly-looking  duck  swam  solemnly  along, 
casting  now  and  then  a  look  of  warning  to  a  numerous 
family  of  little  yellow  ducklings  that  frisked  and  gam- 
bolled in  very  wantonness,  as  if  they  too  enjoyed  and 
appreciated  the  beauties  of  the  scene.  Through  this  ter- 
restrial paradise  we  wended  our  way,  till  rapids  again 
began  to  disturb  the  water,  and  a  portage  at  last  brought 
us  to  a  stand.  Here  we  found  M'Nab,  who  had  left 
York  Factory  three  days  before  us  with  his  brigade,  just 
going  to  encamp  ;  so  we  also  brought  up  for  the  night. 
When  supper  was  ready,  I  sent  an  invitation  to  M'Nab 
to  come  and  sup  with  me,  which  he  accepted,  at  the  same 


',1 


t  [  i: 


I  I 


I'i 


184 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


u 


time  bringing  his  brotlier  with  him.  The  elder  was  a 
bluff,  good-natured  Red  River  settlor,  with  wliom  I  liad 
become  acquainted  while  in  tlie  colony ;  and  wo  chatted 
of  bygone  times  and  mutual  acquaintances  over  a  cup  of 
excellent  tea,  till  long  afler  the  sun  hud  gone  down,  leav- 
ing the  blazing  camp-fires  to  illuminate  the  scene. 

Next  morning  we  started  at  the  same  time  with  the 
boats ;  but  our  little  canoe  soon  passed  them  in  the 
rapids,  and  we  saw  no  more  of  them.  Our  way  was  not 
now  so  much  impeded  by  rapids  as  it  had  hitherto  been  ; 
and  by  breakfast-time  wc  had  surmounted  them  all  and 
arrived  at  the  Dram-stone,  where  we  put  ashore  for  our 
morning  meal.  In  the  morning  I  shot  a  duck,  being  the 
first  that  had  come  within  range  since  I  left  York  Fac- 
tory. Ducks  were  very  scarce,  and  the  few  that  we  did 
see  were  generally  accompanied  by  a  numerous  offspring 
not  much  bigger  than  the  eggs  which  originally  con- 
tained them.  While  taking  breakfast  we  were  surprised 
by  hearing  a  quick  rushing  sound  a  little  above  us,  and 
the  next  moment  a  light  canoe  came  sweeping  round  a 
point  and  made  towards  us.  It  was  one  of  those  called 
"  north  canoes,"  which  are  calculated  to  carry  eight  men 
as  a  crew,  besides  three  passengers.  The  one  now  be- 
fore us  was  built  much  the  same  as  an  Indian  canoe,  but 
somewhat  neater,  and  ornamented  with  sundry  ingenious 
devices  painted  in  gaudy  colors  on  the  bows  and  stern. 
It  was  manned  by  eight  men  and  apparently  one  passen- 
ger, to  whom  I  hallooed  once  or  twice  ;  but  they  took 
me,  no  doubt,  for  an  Indian,  and  so  passed  on  without 
taking  any  notice  of  us.  As  the  noble  bark  bounded 
quickly  forward  and  was  hid  by  intervening  trees,  I  bent 
a  look  savoring  slightly  of  contempt  upon  our  little 
Indian  canoe,  and  proceeded  to  finish  breakfast. 


HL'DSOK'S  DAY. 


185 


A  solitary  north  cnnoe,  however,  passing  thus  in  si- 
lence, can  give  but  a  fnint  idea  of  the  sensation  felt  on 
seeing  a  brigade  of  tlieni  arriving  nt  a  post  after  a  long 
journey.  It  is  then  that  they  appear  in  'V]l<i  perfection. 
The  voyageurs  upon  such  occasions  are  dressed  in  their 
best  clothes ;  and  gaudy  feathers,  ribbons,  and  tassels 
stream  in  abundance  from  their  caps  and  garters. 
Painted  gayly,  and  ranged  side  by  side,  like  contending 
chargers,  the  light  canoes  skim  swiftly  over  the'  water, 
bounding  undor  the  vigorous  and  rapid  strokes  of  the  small 
but  numerous  paddles,  while  the  powerful  voyageurs  strain 
every  muscle  to  urge  them  quickly  on.  And  while  yet  in 
the  distance,  the  beautifully  simple  and  lively  yet  plain- 
tive paddling  song,  so  well  suited  to  the  surrounding 
scenery,  and  so  different  from  any  other  air,  breaks 
sweetly  on  the  ear  ;  and  one  reflects,  with  a  kind  of  sub- 
dued and  pleasing  melancholy,  how  far  the  singers  are 
from  their  native  land,  and  how  many  long  and  weary 
days  of  danger  and  of  toils  will  pass  before  they  can 
rest  once  more  in  their  Canadian  homes.  How  strangely, 
too,  upon  their  nearer  approach,  is  this  feeling  changed 
for  one  of  exultation,  as  the  deep  and  manly  voices  swell 
in  chorus  over  the  placid  waters,  while  a  competition 
arises  among  tliem  who  shall  first  arrive ;  and  the  canoes 
dash  over  the  water  with  arrow-speed  to  the  very  edge 
of  the  wharf,  where  they  come  suddenly,  and  as  by  magic, 
to  a  pause.  This  is  effected  by  each  man  backing  water 
with  his  utmost  force ;  after  which  they  roll  their  pad- 
dles on  the  gunwale  simultaneously,  enveloping  them- 
selves in  a  shower  of  spray  as  they  shake  the  dripping 
water  from  the  bright  vermilion  blades.  Truly  it  is  an 
animating  inspiriting  scene  the  arrival  of  a  brigade  of 
light  canoes. 


m 


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m: 


■  II 


186 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


■■''l.V 


IhV' 


Our  route  now  lay  through  a  number  of  small  lakes 
and  rivers,  with  scarcely  any  current  in  them ;  so  we 
proceeded  happily  on  our  way  with  the  cheering  prospect 
of  uninterrupted  travelling.  We  had  crossed  Swampy 
Lake,  and  after  making  one  or  two  insignificant  portages, 
entered  Knee  Lake.  This  body  of  water  obtained  its 
name  from  turning  at  a  sharp  angle  near  its  centre,  and 
stretching  out  in  an  opposite  direction  from  its  preceding 
course ;  thus  forming  something  like  a  knee.  Late  in 
the  evening  we  encamped  on  one  of  the  small  islands 
with  which  it  is  here  and  there  dotted.  Nothing  could 
exceed  the  beauty  of  the  view  we  had  of  the  lake  from 
our  encampment.  Not  a  breath  of  wind  stirred  its  glassy 
surface,  which  shone  in  the  ruddy  rays  of  the  sun  setting 
on  its  bosom  in  the  distant  horizon  ;  and  I  sat  long  upon 
the  rocks  admiring  the  lovely  scene,  while  one  of  my 
Indians  filled  the  teakettle,  and  the  other  was  busily 
engaged  in  skinning  a  minx  for  supper.  Our  evening, 
meal  was  further  enriched  by  the  addition  of  a  gr'iat 
many  small  gulls'  eggs,  which  we  had  found  on  an  island 
during  the  day,  which,  saving  one  or  two  that  showed 
evident  symptoms  of  being  far  advanced  towards  bird- 
hood,  were  excellent. 

On  the  following  morning  the  scene  was  entirely 
changed.  Dark  and  lowering  clouds  flew  across  the 
sky,  and  the  wind  blew  furiously,  with  a  melancholy 
moaning  sound,  through  the  trees.  The  lake,  which  the 
night  before  had  been  so  calm  and  tranquil,  was  now  of  a 
dark  leaden  hue,  and  covered  with  foaming  waves.  How- 
ever, we  determined  to  proceed,  and  launched  our  canoe 
accordingly  ;  but  soon  finding  the  wind  too  strong  for  us, 
we  put  ashore  on  a  small  island  and  breakfasted.  As 
the  weather  moderated  after  breakfast,  we  made  another 


lakes 


icd  its 
and 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


187 


attempt  to  advance.  Numerous  islets  studded  the  lake 
and  on  one  of  them  we  landed  to  collect  gulls'  eggs.  Of 
these  we  found  enough ;  but  among  them  were  a  number 
of  little  yellow  ^'^ulls,  chattering  vociferously,  and  in 
terrible  consternation  at  our  approach,  while  the  old 
ones  kept  uttering  the  most  plaintive  cries  overhead. 
The  eggs  were  very  small,  being  those  of  a  small  species 
of  gull  which  frequents  those  inland  lakes  in  great  num- 
bers. The  wind  again  began  to  rise  ;  and  after  a  little 
consultation  on  the  subject  we  landed,  intending  to  spend 
the  remainder  of  the  day  on  shore. 

We  now,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  York  Factory, 
pi  spared  dinner,  which  we  expected  would  be  quite  a 
sumptuous  one,  having  collected  a  good  many  eggs  in  the 
morning ;  so  we  set  about  it  with  alacrity.  A  fire  was 
quickly  made,  the  teakettle  on,  and  a  huge  pot  contain- 
ing upwards  of  a  hundred  eggs  placed  upon  the  fire. 
These  we  intended  to  boil  hard  and  carry  with  us.  Being 
very  hungry,  I  watched  the  progress  of  dinner  with  much 
interest,  while  the  Indians  smoked  in  silence.  "While  sit- 
ting thus,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  a  loud  whistling 
sound  that  greatly  perplexed  me,  as  I  could  not  discover 
whence  it  proceeded.  I  got  up  once  or  twice  to  see  what 
it  could  be,  but  found  nothing,  although  it  sounded  as  if 
close  beside  me.  At  last  one  of  the  Indians  rose,  and, 
standing  close  to  the  fire,  bent  in  a  very  attentive  attitude 
over  the  kettle,  and,  after  listening  a  little  while,  took  up 
one  of  the  eggs  and  broke  it,  when  out  came  a  young  gull 
with  a  monstrous  head  and  no  feathers,  squeaking  and 
chirping  in  a  most  indefatigable  manner !  "  So  much  for 
our  dinner !  "  thought  I,  as  he  threw  the  bird  into  the  lake, 
and  took  out  a  handful  of  eggs,  which  all  proved  to  be 
much  in  the  same  condition.     The  warmth  of  the  water 


n 


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iL .. .  iii 

188 


HUDSON»S  BAY. 


put  life  into  the  little  birds,  which,  however,  was  speedily 
destroyed  when  it  began  to  boil.  We  did  not  despair, 
nevertheless,  of  finding  a  few  good  ones  amongst  them  ; 
so,  after  they  were  well  cooked,  we  all  sat  round  the  kettle 
and  commenced  operations.  Some  were  good  and  others 
slightly  spoiled,  while  many  were  intersected  with  red 
veins,  but  the  greater  part  contained  boiled  birds.  The 
Indians  were  not  nice,  however,  and  we  managed  to  make 
a  good  dinner  off  them  after  all. 

In  the  afternoon  the  weather  cleared  up  and  the  wind 
moderated,  but  we  had  scarcely  got  under  way  again 
when  a  thunderstorm  arose  and  obliged  us  to  put  ashore ; 
and  there  we  remained  for  four  hours  sitting  under  a  tree, 
while  the  rain  poured  in  torrents.  In  the  evening  Nature 
tired  of  teasing  us;  and  the  sun- shone  brightly  out  as  we 
once  more  resumed  our  paddles.  To  make  up  for  lost 
time,  we  travelled  until  about  two  o'clock  next  morning, 
when  we  put  ashore  to  rest  a  little  ;  and,  as  the  night  was 
fine,  we  just  threw  our  blankets  over  our  shoulders  and 
tumbled  down  on  the  first  convenient  spot  we  could  find, 
without  making  a  fire  or  taking  any  supper.  We  had  not 
lain  long,  however,  when  I  felt  a  curious  chilly  sensation 
all  along  my  side,  which  effectually  awakened  me ;  and 
then  I  saw,  or  rather  heard,  that  a  perfect  deluge  of  rain 
was  descending  upon  our  luckless  heads,  and  that  I  had 
been  reposing  in  the  centre  of  a  large  puddle.  This  state 
of  things  was  desperate ;  and  as  the  poor  Indians  seemed 
to  be  as  thoroughly  uncomfortable  as  they  possibly  could 
be,  I  proposed  to  start  again,  which  we  did,  and  before 
daylight  were  many  a  mile  from  our  wretched  encamp- 
ment. As  the  sun  rose  the  weather  cleared  up,  and  soon 
after  we  came  to  the  end  of  Knee  Lake  and  commenced 
the  ascent  of  Trout  River.     Here  I  made  a  sketch  of  the 


: 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


189 


peedily 
despair, 
t  them ; 
e  kettle 
i  others 
rith  red 
The 
to  make 


3. 


le  wind 

y  again 

ashore ; 

r  a  tree, 

g  Nature 

>ut  as  we 

for  lost 

morning, 

light  was 

Iders  and 

ould  find, 

e  had  not 

sensation 

rae ;  and 

;e  of  rain 

hat  I  had 

Chis  state 

s  seemed 

bly  could 

id  before 

encamp- 

and  soon 

mmenced 

tch  of  the 


Trout  Falls  while  '^e  men  made  a  portage  to  avoid  them. 
With  a  few  Ind.  <,  encamped  on  this  portage,  we  ex- 
changed a  little  pemmican  for  some  excellent  white-fish,  a 
great  treat  to  us  after  living  so  long  on  pemmican  and  tea. 
Our  biscuit  had  run  short  a  few  days  before,  and  the 
pound  of  butter  which  we  brought  from  York  Factory 
had  melted  into  oil  from  the  excessive  heat  and  van- 
ished through  the  bottom  of  the  canvas  bag  containing  it. 
Trout  River,  though  short,  has  a  pretty  fair  share  of  falls 
and  rapids,  which  we  continued  ascending  all  day.  The 
scenery  was  pleasing  and  romantic ;  but  there  was  noth- 
ing of  grandeur  in  it,  the  country  being  low,  flat,  and  ex- 
cepting on  the  banks  of  the  river,  uninteresting.  In  the 
afternoon  we  came  to  the  end  of  this  short  river,  and  ar- 
rived at  Oxford  House.  We  landed  in  silence,  and  I 
walked  slowly  up  the  hill,  but  not  a  soul  appeared.  At 
last,  as  I  neared  the  house,  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  little 
boy's  face  at  the  window,  who  no  sooner  saw  me  than  his 
eyes  opened  to  their  widest  extent,  while  his  mouth  fol- 
lowed their  example,  and  he  disappeared  with  a  pre- 
cipitancy that  convinced  me  he  was  off  to  tell  his  mother 
the  astounding  news  that  somebody"  had  arrived.  The 
next  moment  I  was  shaking  hands  with  my  old  friend 
Mrs.  Gordon  and  her  two  daughters,  whom  I  found  en- 
gaged in  the  interesting  occupation  of  preparing  tea. 
From  them  I  learned  that  they  were  entirely  alone, 
with  only  one  man  to  take  care  of  the  post,  Mr.  Gordon, 
whom  they  expected  back  every  day,  having  gone  to 
Norway  House. 

I  spent  a  delightful  evening  with  this  kind  and  hospi- 
table family — talking  of  our  mutual  friends,  and  discuss- 
ing the  affairs  of  the  country,  till  a  tall  box  in  a  corner 
of  the  room  attracted  my  attention.     This  I  discovered 


:i;,l 


r 


t'r 

'    !    ! 


?:il, 


i', 


I  !i  ; 


m 


M  i 


fv 


190 


HUDSON'S  BAY, 


h 


■  i 


1 1 


'i 


Vr   ii 


to  my  delight  was  no  less  than  a  barrel  organ-  on  which 
one  of  the  young  ladies  at  my  request  played  a  few 
tunes.  Now,  barrel  organs,  be  it  known,  were  things  that 
I  had  detested  from  my  infancy  upwards ;  but  this  dislike 
arose  principally  from  my  having  been  brought  up  in  the 
dear  town  o'  Auld  Reekie,  where  barrel-organ  music  is, 
as  it  were,  crammed  down  one's  throat  without  permission 
being  asked  or  received,  and  even,  indeed,  wh^e  it  is  de- 
cidedly objected  to.  Everybody  said  too,  that  barrel  or- 
gans were  a  nuisance,  and  of  course  I  believed  them  ;  so 
that  I  left  my  home  with  a  decided  dislike  to  barrel  organs 
in  general.  Four  years'  residence,  however,  in  the  bush 
had  rendered  me  much  less  fastidious  in  music  as  well 
as  in  many  other  things  ;  and  during  the  last  two  years 
spent  at  York  Factory,  not  a  solitary  note  of  melody  had 
soothed  my  longing  ear,  so  that  it  was  with  a  species  of 
rapture  that  I  now  ground  away  at  the  handle  of  this  or- 
gan, which  happened  to  be  a  very  good  one,  and  played 
in  perfect  tune.  "  God  save  the  Queen,"  "  Rule  Britan- 
nia," "  Lord  M'Donald's  Reel,"  and  the  "  Blue  Bells  of 
Scotland,"  were  played  over  and  over  again ;  and,  old 
and  threadbare  though  they  be,  to  me  they  were  re- 
plete with  endearing  asociations,  and  sounded  like  the 
well-known  voices  of  long,  long  absent  friends.  I  spent 
indeed  a  delightful  evening,  and  its  pleasures  were  the 
more  enhanced  from  the  circumstance  of  its  being  the 
first,  after  a  banishment  of  two  years,  which  I  had  spent 
in  the  society  of  the  fair  sex. 

Next  morning  was  fine,  though  the  wind  blew  pretty 
fresh,  and  we  started  before  breakfast,  having  taken  leave 
of  the  family  the  night  before.    This  was  the  1st  of  July. 


Ill 


We  had  been  eight  days  on  the 
a  long  time  for  a  canoe  to  take  to 


route,  which  is  rather 
reach  Oxford  House; 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


191 


which 

a  few 

;s  that 

dislike 

in  the 

usic  is, 

mission 

t  is  de- 

rrel  or- 

em  ;  so 

organs 

le  bush 

as  well 

0  years 
ody  had 
►ecies  of 

this  or- 

1  played 
I  Britan- 
Bells  of 
and,  old 
vere  re- 
lil^e  the 

I  spent 
were  the 
3ing  the 
ad  spent 

w  pretty 

en  leave 

of  July. 

s  rather 

House ; 


but  as  most  of  the  portages  were  now  over,  we  calcu- 
lated upon  arriving  at  Norway  House  in  two  or  three 
days.  ' 

In  the  afternoon  the  wind  blew  again,  and  obliged  us 
to  encamp  on  a  small  island,  where  we  remained  all  day. 
While  there,  a  couple  of  Indians  visited  us,  and  gave  us 
an  immense  trout  in  exchange  for  some  penimican.  This 
trout  I  neglected  to  measure,  but  I  am  convinced  it  was 
more  than  three  feet  long  and  half  a  foot  bnad  ;  it  was 
very  good,  and  we  made  a  capital  dinner  off  it.  During 
the  day,  as  it  was  very  warm,  I  had  a  delightful  swim  in 
the  lake,  on  the  lee  of  the  island. 

The  wind  moderated  a  little  in  the  evening,  and  we 
again  embarked,  making  up  for  lost  time  by  travelling 
till  midnight,  when  we  put  ashore  and  went  to  sleep 
without  making  a  fire  or  taking  any  supper.  About  four 
o'clock  we  started  again,  and  in  a  couple  of  hours  came 
to  the  end  of  Oxford  Lake,  after  which  we  travelled 
through  a  number  of  small  swamps  or  reedy  lakes,  and 
stagnant  rivers,  among  which  I  got  so  bewildered  that  I 
gave  up  the  attempt  to  chronicle  their  names  as  hopeless ; 
and  indeed  it  was  scarcely  worth  while,  as  they  were  so 
small  and  overgrown  with  bulrushes  that  they  w^ere  no 
more  worthy  of  a  name  in  such  a  place  as  America  than 
a  dub  would  be  in  Scotland.  Tlie  weather  was  delight- 
fully cool,  and  mosquitos  not  troublesome,  so  that  we 
proceeded  with  pleasure  and  rapidity. 

While  thus  threading  our  way  through  narrow  chan- 
nels and  passages,  upon  turning  a  point  we  met  three  light 
canoes  just  on  the  point  of  putting  ashore  for  breakfast, 
so  I  told  my  Indians  to  run  ashore  near  them.  As  we 
approached,  I  saw  that  there  were  five  geniiemen  assem- 
bled, with  whom  I  was  acquainted,  so  that  I  was  rather 


r^:^Miii 


''  \ 


.1  1  .. 

i  i: 


( 


192 


HUDSON'S   BAY. 


a  i 


'  ! 


/' 


il       • 


anxious  to  get  ashore  ;  but,  alas  !  fortune  had  determined 
to  play  me  a  scurvy  trick,  for  no  sooner  had  my  foot 
touched  the  slippery  stone  on  which  I  intended  to  land, 
than  down  I  came  squash  on  my  breast  in  a  most  humil- 
iating manner,  while  my  legs  kept  playfully  waving  about 
in  the  cooling  element.  This  unfortunate  accident  I  saw 
occasioned  a  strange  elongation  in  the  lateral  dimensions 
of  the  mouths  of  the  party  on  shore,  who  stood  in  silence 
admiring  the  scene.  I  knew,  however,  that  to  appear 
annoyed  would  only  make  matters  worse  ;  so,  with  a  des- 
perate effort  to  appear  at  ease,  I  rose,  and  while  shaking 
hands  with  them,  expressed  my  belief  that  there  was 
nothing  so  conducive  to  health  as  a  cold  bath  in  the  morn- 
ing.  After  a  laugh  at  my  expense  we  sat  down  to  break- 
fast. One  of  the  gentlemen  gave  me  a  letter  from  the 
Governor,  and  I  now  learned,  for  the  first  time,  that  I  was 
to  take  a  passage  in  one  of  the  light  canoes  for  Montreal. 
Here,  then,  was  a  termination  to  my  imaginary  rambles 
on  the  Rocky  Mountains,  or  on  the  undulating  prairies  of 
the  Saskatchewan  ;  and  instead  of  massacring  buffalo  and 
deer  in  the  bush,  I  was  in  a  short  time  to  endeavor  to 
render  myself  a  respectable  member  of  civilized  society. 
I  was  delighted  with  the  idea  of  the  change,  however,  and 
it  was  with  a  firmer  step  and  lighter  heart  that  I  took  my 
leave,  and  once  more  stepped  into  the  canoe. 

After  passing  through  a  succession  of  swamps  and  nar- 
row channels,  we  arrived  at  Robinson's  Portage,  where 
we  found  voyagevrs  r  -ning  about  in  all  directions  some 
with  goods  on  their  backs,  and  others  returning  light  to 
the  other  end  of  the  portage.  We  found  that  they  be- 
longed to  the  Oxford  House  boats,  which  had  just  arrived 
at  the  other  end  of  the  portage,  where  they  intended  to 
encamp,  as  it  was  now  late.     Robinson's  Portage  is  the 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


193 


longest  on  the  route,  being  nearly  a  mile  in  length  j  and, 
as  all  the  brigades  going  to  York  Factory  must  pass  over 
it  twice — in  going  and  returning — the  track  is  beaten  into 
a  good  broad  road,  and  pretty  firm,  although  it  is  rather 
uneven,  and  during  heavy  rains  somewhat  muddy.  Over 
this  all  the  boats  are  dragged,  and  launched  at  the  upper 
or  lower  end  of  the  portage,  as  the  brigades  may  happen 
to  be  ascending  or  descending  the  stream.  Tlien  all  the 
cargoes  are  in  like  manner  carried  over.  Packs  of  furs 
and  bales  of  goods  are  generally  from  80  to  100  lbs. 
weight  each,  and  every  man  who  does  not  wish  to  be 
considered  a  lazy  fellow,  or  to  be  ridiculed  by  his  com- 
panions, carries  two  of  those  pieces,  as  they  are  called, 
across  all  portages.  The  boats  are  capable  of  containing 
from  seventy  to  ninety  of  these  pieces,  so  that  it  will  be 
easily  conceived  that  a  voyageur^s  life  is  anything  but  an 
easy  one ;  indeed,  it  is  one  of  constant  and  harassing  toil, 
even  were  the  trouble  of  ascending  rapid  rivers,  where 
he  is  often  obliged  to  jump  into  the  water  at  a  moment's 
notice,  to  lighten  the  boat  in  shallows,  left  entirely  out  of 
the  question.  This  portage  is  made  to  avoid  what  are 
called  the  White  Falls — a  succession  of  cataracts  up 
which  nothing  but  a  fish  could  possibly  ascend.  After 
carrying  over  our  canoe  and  luggage,  we  encamped  at 
the  upper  end.  The  river  we  commenced  ascending  next 
morning  was  pretty  broad,  and  after  a  short  paddle  in  it 
we  entered  the  Echimamis.  This  is  a  sluggish,  serpen- 
tine stream,  about  five  or  six  yards  broad,  though  in  some 
places  so  narrow  that  boats  scrape  the  banks  on  either 
side.  What  little  -current  there  is,  runs  in  a  contrary 
direction  to  the  rivers  we  had  been  ascending.  Mosqui- 
tos  again  attacked  us  as  we  glided  down  its  gloomy  cur- 
rent, and  nothing  but  swamps,  filled  with  immense  bul- 
la 


■  iSil 


:^l 


"i"         '   I    ' 


194 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


'  t/ 


rushes,  were  visible  around.  Here,  in  days  of  yore,  the 
beaver  had  a  flourishing  colony,  and  numbers  of  their 
dams  and  cuttings  were  yet  visible  ;  but  they  have  long 
since  deserted  this  much-frequented  waste,  and  one  of 
their  principal  dams  now  serves  to  heighten  the  water, 
which  is  not  deep,  for  the  passage  of  brigades  in  dry 
seasons.  At  night,  when  we  encamped  on  its  low,  damp 
banks,  we  were  attacked  by  myriads  of  mosquitos,  so 
that  we  could  only  sleep  by  making  several  fires  round 
us,  the  smoke  from  which  partially  protected  us.  About 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  which  was  very  warm,  we 
reembarked,  and  at  noon  arrived  at  the  Sea  Portage, 
(why  so  called  I  know  not,  as  it  is  hundreds  of  miles  in- 
land,) which  is  the  last  on  the  route.  This  portage  is 
very  short,  and  is  made  to  surmount  a  pretty  large  water- 
fall. Almost  immediately  afterwards  we  entered  Play- 
green  Lake,  and  put  ashore  on  a  small  island,  to  alter 
our  attire  before  arriving  at  Norway  House. 

Here,  with  the  woods  for  our  closet,  and  the  clear  lake 
for  our  basin  as  well  as  looking-glass,  we  proceeded  to 
scrub  our  sunburnt  faces,  and  in  half  an  hour,  having 
made  ourselves  as  respectable  as  circumstances  would 
permit,  we  paddled  swiftly  over  the  lake.  It  is  pretty 
long,  and  it  was  not  until  evening  that  I  caught  the  first 
glimpse  of  the  bright  spire  of  the  Wesleyan  Church  at 
Rossville. 

We  now  approached  the  termination  of  our  journey,  for 
the  time  at  least ;  and  it  was  with  pleasing  recollections 
that  I  recognized  the  well-known  rocks  where  I  had  so 
often  wandered  three  years  before.  "When  we  came  in 
sigh^  of  the  fort,  it  was  in  a  state  of  bustle  and  excite- 
ment as  usual,  and  I  could  perceive  from  the  vigorous 
shaking  of  hands  going  forward,  from  the  number  of 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


195 


voyageiirs  collected  on  the  ianding-place,  and  of  boats 
assembled  at  the  wharf,  that  there  had  just  been  an 
arrival.  Our  poor  little  canoe  was  not  taken  any  notice 
of  as  it  neared  the  wharf,  until  some  of  the  people  on 
shore  observed  that  there  was  some  one  in  the  middle  of 
it  sitting  in  a  very  lazy,  indolent  position,  which  is  quite 
uncommon  among  Indians.  In  another  minute  we  gained 
the  bank,  and  I  grasped  the  hand  of  my  kind  friend  and 
former  chief,  Mr.  Buss. 

We  had  now  been  travelling  twelve  days,  and  had 
passed  over  upwards  of  thirty  portages  during  the 
voyage. 

We  ought  to  have  performed  this  voyage  in  a  much 
shorter  time,  as  canoes  proceed  faster  than  boats,  which 
seldom  take  longer  to  complete  this  voyage  than  we  did ; 
but  this  arose  from  our  detention  during  high  winds  in 
several  of  the  lakes. 


i  i'- 


I 

'ill 


;     |i  If. 


vu:  Ii  ?' 


i! 


:\\ 


196 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


CHAPTER  X. 


VOYAGE  TO  CANADA  BY  TUB  GREAT  LAKES  OP  THE  INTERIOR. 


^     I 


m  ■• , 


p.    ")  t' 


AT  Norway  House  I  remained  for  nearly  a  month 
with  my  old  friend  Mr.  Russ,  who  in  a  former  part 
of  this  veracious  book  is  described  as  being  a  very  ar- 
dent and  scientific  fisher,  ejctremely  partial  to  strong  rods 
and  lines,  and  entertaining  a  powerful  antipathy  to  slen- 
der rods  and  flies  I 

Little  change  had  taken  place  in  the  appearance  of  the 
fort.  The  clerks'  house  was  still  as  fuU,  and  as  noisy,  as 
when  Polly  told  frightful  stories  to  the  greenhorns  on 
the  point  of  setting  out  for  the  wild  countries  of  Mac- 
kenzie's River  and  New  Caledonia.  The  Indians  of  the 
village  at  Rossville  plodded  on  in  their  usual  peaceful 
way,  under  the  guidance  of  their  former  pastor  ;  and  the 
ladies  of  the  establishment  were  as  blooming  as  ever. 

One  fine  morning,  just  as  Mr.  Russ  and  I  were  saun- 
tering down  to  the  river  with  our  rods,  a  north  canoe, 
full  of  men,  swept  round  the  point  above  the  fort,  and 
grounded  near  the  wharf.  Our  rods  were  soon  cast 
aside,  and  we  were  speedily  congratulating  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bain  on  their  safe  arrival.  These  were  to  be  my  com- 
panions on  the  impending  voyage  to  Canada,  and  the 
canoe  in  which  they  had  arrived  was  to  be  our  convey- 
ance. 

Mr.  Bain  was  a  good-natured,  light-hearted  High- 
lander, and  his  lady  a  pretty  lass  of  twenty-three. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


197 


On  the  following  morning  all  was  ready ;  and  soon 
after  breakfast  we  were  escorted  down  to  the  wharf  by 
all  the  people  in  the  fort,  who  crowded  to  the  rocks  to 
witness  our  departure. 

Our  men,  eight  in  number,  stood  leaning  on  their  pad- 
dles near  the  wharf;  and,  truly,  a  fine  athletic  set  of  fel- 
lows they  were.  The  beautifully  shaped  canoe  floated 
lightly  on  the  river,  notwithstanding  her  heavy  cargo,  and 
the  water  rippled  gently  against  her  sides  as  it  swept 
slowly  past.  This  frail  bark,  on  which  our  safety  and 
progression  depended,  was  made  of  birch  bark  sewed 
together,  lined  in  the  inside  with  thin  laths  of  wood,  and 
pitched  on  the  seams  with  gum.  It  was  about  thirty-six 
feet  long,  and  five  broad  in  the  middle,  from  whence  it 
tapered  either  way  to  a  sharp  edge.  It  was  calculated 
to  carry  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  cwt.,  with  eight  or 
nine  men,  besides  three  passengers,  and  provisions  for 
nearly  a  month.  And  yet,  so  light  was  it,  that  two  men 
could  carry  it  a  quarter  of  a  mile  without  resting.  Such 
was  the  machine  in  which,  on  the  20th  August,  1845,  we 
embarked  ;  and,  after  bidding  our  friends  at  Norway 
House  adieu,  departed  for  Canada,  a  distance  of  nearly 
two  thousand  three  hundred  miles  through  the  uninhab- 
ited forests  of  America. 

Our  first  day«was  propitious,  being  warm  and  clear ; 
and  we  travelled  a  good  distance  ere  the  rapidly  thicken- 
ing shades  of  evening  obliged  us  to  put  ashore  for  the 
night.  The  place  on  which  we  encamped  was  a  flat  rock 
which  lay  close  to  the  river's  bank,  and  behind  it  the 
thick  forest  formed  a  screen  from  the  north  wind.  It 
looked  gloomy  enough  on  landing ;  but,  ere  long,  a  huge 
fire  was  kindled  on  the  rock,  our  two  snow-white  tents 
pitched,  and  supper  in   course  of  preparation,  so  that 


1 

! 

I 

1 

t  1      • 

(    1 

'■ti 


8 1 


198 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


things  soon  began  to  wear  a  gayer  aspect.  Supper  was 
spread  in  Mr.  Bain's  tent  by  one  of  the  men,  whom  we 
appointed  to  the  office  of  cook  and  waiter.  And  when 
we  were  seated  on  our  blankets  and  cloaks  upon  Ihc 
ground,  and  Mr.  Bain  had  stared  placidly  at  the  fire  for 
Ave  minutes,  and  then  at  his  wife  (who  presided  at  the 
board)  for  ten,  we  began  to  feel  quite  jolly,  and  gazed 
with  infinite  satisfaction  at  the  men,  who  ate  their  supper 
out  of  the  same  kettle,  in  the  warm  light  of  the  camp- 
fire.  Our  first  bed  was  typical  of  the  voyage,  being 
hard  and  rough,  but  withal  much  more  comfortable  than 
many  others  we  slept  upon  afterwards  ;  and  we  were  all 
soon  as  sound  asleep  upon  the  rock  in  the  forest,  as  if  we 
had  been  in  feather-beds  at  home. 

The  beds  on  which  a  traveller  in  this  country  sleeps 
are  various  and  strange.  Sometimes  he  reposes  on  a  pile 
of  branches  of  the  pine-tree ;  sometimes  on  soft,  downy 
moss  ;  occasionally  on  a  pebbly  beach  or  a  flat  rock ;  and 
not  unfrequently  on  rough  <^ravel  and  sand.  Of  these 
the  moss  bed  is  the  most  agreeable,  and  the  sandy  one 
the  worst. 

Early  on  the  following  morning,  long  before  daylight, 
we  were  roused  from  our  slumbers  to  reembark,  and  now 
our  journey  may  be  said  to  have  commenced  in  earnest. 
Slowly  and  silently  we  stepped  into  the  canoe,  and  sat 
down  in  our  allotted  places,  while  the  men  advanced  in 
silence,  and  paddled  up  the  quiet  river  in  a  very  melan- 
choly sort  of  mood.  The  ^'Ising  sun,  however,  tli.oi})ated 
these  gloomy  feelings,  and  afler  breakfast,  ^:•/'^  •',  jok 
on  a  small  island  near  the  head  of  Jack  River,  we  revived 
at  once,  and  started  with  a  cheering  song,  in  which  all 
jollied.  Soon  after,  we  rounded  a  point  of  the  river,  and 
Laike  ^Yir  rvpeg,  calm  and  clear  as  crystal,  glittering  in 


HUDSON'S   DAY. 


100 


ill 


the  beams  of  the  morning  sun,  lay  stretched  out  before 
js  to  the  distant  and  scarcely  pt-reeptiblo  horizon.  Every 
pleasure  has  its  alloy,  and  ll''  glorion*  :ilm,  on  which  we 
felicitated  ourselves  not  a  litt*  vas  soon  rufHed  by  a 
breeze,  which  speedily  iiicr(.'ased  so  much  as  to  oblige  us 
to  encamp  near  Montreal  Point,  being  too  str  >i'£!  for  us 
to  venture  across  the  traverse  of  Ave  or  six  miles  now 
before  us.  Here,  then,  we  remained  th(  rest  of  he  day 
;nid  night,  rather  disappointed  that  deln^.  i^houid  have 
occiured  so  soon. 

Next  day  we  left  our  encampment  early,  and  travelled 
prosperously  till  about  noon,  when  the  wind  gain  in- 
creased to  such  a  degree  that  we  were  forced  to  put 
ashore  on  a  point,  where  we  remained  for  the  next  two 
days  in  grumbling  inactivity. 

There  is  nothing  more  distressing  and  annoyin*^  than 
being  windbound  in  these  wild  and  uninhabited  regions. 
One  has  no  amusement  except  reading,  or  promenai  ing 
about  the  shores  of  the  lake.  Now,  although  this  i.  ay 
be  very  delightful  to  a  person  of  a  romantic  dispositi.  m, 
it  was  anything  but  agreeable  to  us,  as  the  season  w  is 
pretty  far  advanced,  and  the  voyage  long ;  besides,  I  lutd 
no  gun,  having  parted  with  mine  before  leaving  Norway 
House,  and  no  books  had  been  brought,  as  we  did  not 
calculate  upon  being  windbound.  I  was  particularly  dis- 
appointed at  not  having  brought  my  gun,  for  while  we 
lay  upon  the  rocks  one  fine  day,  gazing  gloomily  on  the 
foaming  lake  a  black  bear  was  perceived  walking  slowly 
round  the  bottom  of  the  bay  formed  by  the  point  on 
which  we  were  encamped.  It  was  hopeless  to  attempt 
killing  him,  as  Mr.  Bruin  was  not  fool  enough  to  permit 
us  to  attJick  him  with  axes.  After  this,  a  regular  course 
of  high  winds  commenced,  Avhich  retarded  us  very  much. 


ft' 

i. 


:'kj 


1  ii 


I .  i 


\u 


IM* 


200 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


•k    I 


and  gave  us  much  uneasiness  as  well  as  annoyance.  A 
good  idea  of  the  harassing  nature  of  our  voyage  across 
Lake  Winnipeg  may  be  obtained  from  the  following  page 
or  two  of  my  journal,  as  I  wrote  it  on  the  spot : — 

Monday,  2bth  August. — The  wind  having  moderated 
this  morning,  we  left  the  encampment  at  an  early  hour, 
and  travelled  uninterruptedly  till  nearly  eight  o'clock, 
when  it  began  to  blow  so  furiously  that  we  were  obliged 
to  run  asliore  and  encamp.  All  day  the  gale  continued, 
but  in  the  evening  it  moderated,  and  we  were  enabled  to 
proceed  a  good  way  ere  night  closed  in. 

Tuesday,  26i/^. — Rain  fell  in  torrents  during  the  night. 
The  wind,  too,  was  high,  and  we  did  not  leave  our  en- 
campment till  after  breakfast.  We  made  a  good  day's 
journey,  however,  travelling  about  forty  miles,  and  at 
night  pitched  our  tents  on  a  point  of  rock,  the  only 
camping-place,  as  our  guide  told  us,  within  ten  miles. 
No  dry  ground  was  to  be  found  in  the  vicinity,  so  we 
were  fain  to  sleep  upon  the  flattest  rock  we  could  find, 
with  only  one  blanket  under  us.  This  bed,  however, 
was  not  so  disagreeable  as  might  be  imagined,  its  princi- 
pal disadvantage  being,  that,  should  it  happen  to  rain, 
the  water,  instead  of  sinking  into  the  ground,  forms  a 
little  pond  below  you,  deep  or  shallow,  according  to  the 
hollowness  or  flatness  of  the  rock  on  which  you  repose. 

Wednesday,  27th. — Set  out  early  this  morning,  and 
travelled  till  noon,  when  the  wind  again  drove  us  ashore, 
where  we  remained,  in  no  very  happy  humor,  all  day. 
Mr.  Bain  and  I  played  the  flute  for  pastime. 

Thursday,  28th. — The  persevering  wind  blew  soMiard, 
that  we  remained  in  the  encampment  all  day.  This  was 
indeed  a  dismal  day ;  for  independently  of  being  delayed, 
which  is  bad  enough,  the  rain  fell  so  heavily  that  it  be- 


ir*: 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


201 


e.    A 

across 
;page 


night. 


gan  to  penetrate  through  our  tents,  and,  as  if  not  content 
with  this,  a  gust  of  wind  more  violent  than  usual  tore  the 
fastenings  of  my  tent  out  of  the  ground,  and  dashed  it 
over  my  head,  leaving  me  exposed  to  the  pitiless  pelting 
of  the  storm.  Mr.  Bain's  tent  being  in  a  more  sheltered 
spot,  fortunately  escaped. 

Friday,  29#A. — The  weather  was  much  improved  to- 
day, but  it  still  continued  to  blow  sufficiently  to  prevent 
our  starting.  As  the  wind  moderated,  however,  in  the 
evening,  the  men  carried  the  baggage  down  to  the  beach, 
to  have  it  in  readiness  for  an  early  start  on  the  morrow. 

Saturday,  ZOth. — In  the  morning  we  found  that  the 
wind  had  again  risen,  so  as  to  prevent  our  leaving  the 
encampment.  This  detention  is  really  very  tiresome. 
We  have  no  amusement  except  reading  a  few  uninterest- 
ing books,  eating  without  appetite,  and  sleeping  inordi- 
nately. Oh  that  I  were  possessed  of  the  Arabian  Nights' 
mat,  which  transported  its  owner  whithersoever  he  listed  ! 
There  is  nothing  for  it,  however,  but  patience ;  and  as- 
suredly I  have  a  good  example  in  poor  Mrs.  Bain,  who, 
though  little  accustomed  to  such  work,  has  not  given  ut- 
terance to  a  word  of  complaint  since  we  left  Norway 
House.  It  is  now  four  days  since  we  pitched  our  tents 
on  this  vile  point.  How  long  we  may  still  remain  is  yet 
to  be  seen.        , 

Thursday,  September  Ath. — The  wind  was  still  very 
strong  this  morning ;  but  so  impatient  had  we  become  at 
our  repeated  detentions,  that,  with  one  accord,  we  con- 
sented to  do  or  die!  So,  after  launching  and  loading 
the-  canoe  with  great  difficulty,  owing  to  the  immense 
waves  that  thundered  against  the  shore,  we  all  embarked 
and  pushed  off.  After  severe  exertion,  and  much  ship- 
ping of  water  we  at  length  came   to  the  mouth  of  the 


m' 

H ' 

'i 
1 

1 

S-ii, 


i' 


202 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


:  i.  I  -;     ; 


Winnipeg  River,  up  which  we  proceeded  a  short  distance, 
and  arrived  at  Fort  Alexander. 

Thus  had  we  taken  fifteen  days  to  coast  along  Lake 
"Winnipeg,  a  journey  that  is  usually  performed  in  a  third 
of  that  time. 

Fort  Alexander  belongs  to  the  Lac  la  Pluie  district ; 
but  being  a  small  post,  neither  famous  for  trade  nor  for 
appearance,  I  will  not  take  the  trouble  of  describing  it. 
We  only  remained  a  couple  of  hours  to  take  in  provisions 
in  the  shape  of  a  ham,  a  little  pork,  and  some  flour,  and 
then  reembarking,  commenced  the  ascent  of  Winnipeg 
River. 

The  travelling  now  before  us  was  widely  different  from 
that  of  the  last  fifteen  days.  Our  men  could  no  longer 
rest  upon  their  paddles  when  tired,  as  they  used  to  do  on 
the  level  waters  of  the  lake.  The  river  was  a  rapid  one ; 
and  towards  evening  we  had  an  earnest  of  the  rough 
work  in  store  for  us,  by  meeting  in  rapid  succession  with 
three  waterfalls,  to  surmount  which  we  were  obliged  to 
cany  the  canoe  and  cargo  over  the  rocks,  and  launch 
them  above  the  falls.  While  the  men  were  engaged  in 
this  laborious  duty,  Mr.  Bain  and  I  discovered  a  great 
many  plum-trees  laden  with  excellent  fruit,  of  which  we 
ate  as  many  as  we  conveniently  could,  and  then  filling 
our  caps  and  handkerchiefs,  embarked  with  our  prize. 
They  were  a  great  treat  to  us,  after  our  long  abstinence 
from  everything  but  salt  food,  and  I  believe  we  demol- 
ished enough  to  have  killed  a  whole  parish  school — 
boys,  master,  usher,  and  all !  But  in  voyages  like  these 
one  may  take  great  liberties  with  one's  interior  with  per- 
fect impunity. 

About  sunset  we  encamped  in  a  picturesque  snot,  near 
the  top  of  a  huge  waterfall,  whose  thundering  roar,  as  it 


m'r 


HUDSON'S   BAY. 


203 


Lake 
third 


mingled  with  the  sighing  of  the  night  wind  through  the 
bushes  and  among  the  precipitous  rocks  around  us, 
formed  an  appropriate  and  somewhat  romantic  lullaby. 

On  the  following  morning  we  were  aroused  from  our 
slumbers  at  daybreak ;  and  in  ten  minutes  our  tents  were 
down  and  ourselves  in  the  canoe,  bounding  merrily  up 
the  river,  while  the  echoing  woods  and  dells  responded 
to  the  lively  air  of  "  Rose  Blanche,"  sung  by  the  men  as 
we  swept  round  point  after  poirt  and  curve  after  curve 
of  the  noble  river,  which  displayed  to  our  admiring  gaze 
every  variety  of  wild  and  woodland  scenery — now  open- 
ing up  a  long  vista  of  sloping  groves  of  graceful  trees, 
beautifully  variegated  with  the  tints  of  autumnal  foliage, 
and  sprinkled  with  a  profusion  of  wild-flowers;  and 
anon  surrounding  us  with  immense  cliflPs  and  precipi- 
tous banks  of  the  grandest  and  most  majestic  aspect,  at 
the  foot  of  which  the  black  waters  rushed  impetuously 
past,  and  gurgling  into  white  foam  as  they  sped 
through  a  broken  and  more  interrupted  channel,  finally 
sprang  over  a  mist-shrouded  cliff,  and,  after  boiling  madly 
onwards  for  a  short  space,  resumed  their  silent,  quiet 
course  through  peaceful  scenery.  As  if  to  enhance  the 
romantic  wildness  of  the  scene,  upon  rounding  a  point 
we  came  suddenly  upon  a  large  black  bear,  which  was 
walking  leisurely  along  the  banks  of  the  river.  He 
gazed  at  us  in  surprise  for  a  moment ;  and  then,  as  if 
it  had  suddenly  occurred  to  him  that  guns  might  be  in 
the  canoe,  away  he  went  helter-skelter  up  the  bank,  tear- 
ing up  the  ground  in  his  precipitate  retreat,  and  vanished 
among  the  bushes.  Fortunately  for  him  there  was  not  a 
gun  in  the  canoe,  else  his  chance  of  escape  would  have 
been  very  small  indeed,  as  he  was  only  fifty  yards  or  so 
fiom  us  when  we  first  discovered  him. 


Ill 


1 


204 


\ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


-It 


i'i 


■!       ' 


'  \ 

'f^  ;. 

«Ji 

1 

■  ^^f 

''  IH 

1 

■'■;■■' 

-'%'-i 
•'\:i 

''fHHIH 

1 

w^x-  ■ 

I 

pi 

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nH:'-    'I    H 


ii&: 


li'lf' 


We  made  ten  portages  of  various  lengths  during  the 
course  of  the  day;  none  of  them  exceeded  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  while  the  most  were  merely  a  few  yards.  They 
/  were  very  harassing,  however,  being  close  to  each  other ; 

and  often  we  loaded,  unloaded,  and  carried  the  canoe 
and  cargo  overland  several  times  in  the  distance  of  half 
a  mile. 

On  the  7th  we  left  the  encampment  at  an  early  hour, 
and  made  one  short  portage  a  few  minutes  after  starting. 
After  breakfast,  as  we  paddled  quietly  along,  we  descried 
three  canoes  coming  towards  us,  filled  with  Indians  of  the 
Seauteaux  tribe.  They  gave  us  a  few  fresh  ducks  in  ex- 
change for  some  pork  and  tobacco,  with  which  they  were 
much  delighted.  After  a  short  conversation  between  them 
and  one  of  our  men,  who  understood  the  language,  we 
parted  and  proceeded  on  our  way.  A  little  rain  fell  dur- 
ing the  day,  but  in  the  afternoon  the  sun  shone  out  and 
lighted  up  the  scenery.  The  forests  about  this  part  of 
the  river  wore  a  much  more  cheerful  aspect  than  those 
of  the  lower  countries,  being  composed  chiefly  of  poplar, 
birch,  oak,  and  willows,  whose  beautiful  light  green  foliage 
had  a  very  pleasing  effect  upon  eyes,  long  accustomed  to 
the  dark  pines  along  the  shores  of  Hudson's  Bay. 

In  the  afternoon  we  met  another  canoe,  in  which  we 
saw  a  gentleman  sitting.  This  strange  sight  set  us  all 
speculating  as  to  who  it  could  be ;  for  we  knew  that  all 
the  canoes  accustomed  annually  to  go  through  these  wilds 
had  long  since  passed.  We  were  soon  enlightened,  how- 
ever, on  the  subject.  Both  canoes  made  towards  a  flat 
rock  that  offered  a  convenient  spot  for  landing  on ;  and 
the  stranger  introduced  himself  as  Dr.  Rae.  He  was 
on  his  way  to  York  Factory  for  the  purpose  of  fitting  out 
at  that  post  an  expedition  for  the  survey  of  the  small  part 


(fV. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


205 


we 


of  the  North  American  coast  left  unexplored  by  Messrs. 
Dease  and  Simpson,  which  will   then  prove   beyond  a 
doubt  whether  or  not  there  is  a  communication  by  water 
between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans  round  the  north 
of  America.     Dr.  Rae  appeared  to  be  just  the  man  for 
such  an  expedition.     He  was  ^  ery  muscular  and  active, 
fbll  of  animal  ppirits,  and  had  a  fine  intellectual  counte- 
nance.    He  was  considered,  by  those  who  knew  him  well, 
to  be  one  of  the  best  snow-shoe  walkers  in  the  service, 
was  also  an  excellent  rifle-shot,  and  could  stand  an  im- 
mense amount  of  fatigue.     Poor  fellow  !  greatly  will  he 
require  to  exert  all  his  abilities  and  powers  of  endurance. 
He  does  not  proceed  as  other  expeditions  have  done — 
namely,  with  large  supplies  of  provisions  and  men,  but 
merely,  takes  a  very  small  supply  of  provisions  and  ten 
or  twelve  men.     These,  however,  are  all  to  be  of  his  own 
choosing,  and  will  doubtless  be  men  of  great  experience 
in  travelling  among  the  wild  regions  of  North  America. 
The  whole  expedition  is  fitted  out  at  the  expense  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company.     The  party  are  to  depend  al- 
most entirely  on  their  guns  for  provisions ;  and  after  pro- 
ceeding in  two  open  boats  round  the  northwestern  shores 
of  Hudson's  Bay  as  far  as  they  may  find  it  expedient  or 
practicable,  are  to  land,  place  their  boats  in  security  for 
the  winter,  and  then  penetrate  into  these  unexplored  re- 
gions on  foot.     After  having  done  as  much  as  possible 
towards  the  forwarding  of  the  object  of  his  journey,  Dr. 
Rae  and  his  party  are  to  spend  the  long  di'eary  winter 
with   the  Esquimaux,  and  commence  operations  again 
early  in  the  spring.     He  is  of  such  a  pushing,  energetic 
character,  however,  that  there  is  every  probability  he  will 
endeavor  to  prosecute  his  discoveries  during  winter,  if  at 
all   practicable.      How  long   he  will  remain  exploring 


.,  ( 


K:ir 


'■  \i^ 


ml 


I'Silii!! 


[,y,  •! 


20G 


HUDSONS  BAY, 


among  these  wild  regions  is  uncertain,  but  he  may  be 
two,  perhaps  three  years.  There  is  every  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  this  expedition  will  be  successful,  as  it  is  fitted 
out  by  a  company  intimately  acquainted  with  the  difficul- 
ties and  dangers  of  the  country  through  which  it  will  have 
to  pass,  and  the  best  methods  of  overcoming  and  avoid- 
ing them.  Besides,  the  Doctor  himself  is  well  accustomed 
to  the  life  he  will  have  to  lead,  and  enters  upon  it  not  with 
the  vague  and  uncertain  notions  of  Back  and  Franklin, 
but  with  a  pretty  con'ect  apprehension  of  the  probable 
routine  of  procedure,  and  the  experience  of  a  great  many 
years  spent  in  the  sei'vice  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany.* After  a  few  minutes'  conversation  we  parted,  and 
pursued  our  respective  journeys. 

Towards  sunset  we  encamped  on  the  margin  of  a  small 
lake,  or  expanse  of  the  river ;  and  soon  the  silence  of  the 
forest  was  broken  by  the  merry  voices  of  our  men,  and  by 
the  crashing  of  the  stately  trees,  as  they  fell  under  the 
axes  of  the  voyageurs.  The  sun's  last  rays  streamed 
across  the  water  in  a  broad,  red  glare,  as  if  jealous  of 
the  huge  camp-fire,  which  now  rose  crackling  among 
the  trees,  casting  a  ruddy  glow  upon  our  huts,  and 
lighting  up  the  swarthy  faces  of  our  men  as  they  as- 
sembled round  it  to  rest  their  weary  limbs,  and  to  watch 
the  operations  of  the  cook  while  he  prepared  their  even- 


ing meal. 


In  less  than  an  hour  after  we  landed,  the  floor  of  our 
tent  was  covered  with  a  smoking  dish  of  fried  pork,  a 
huge  ham,  a  monstrous  teapot,  and  various  massive  slices 


WM  ■'■■■ 


*  Since  the  above  was  written,  several  years  have  passed,  and  Dr. 
Rae's  name  has  become  famous,  not  only  on  account  of  successful  dis- 
covery, hfiX.  also  in  connection  with  the  expeditions  sent  out  in  search 
of  Sir  John  Franklin. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


20; 


a 


of  bread,  with  butter  to  match.  To  partake  of  these  deli- 
cacies, we  seated  ourselves  in  Oriental  fashion,  and  sip- 
ped our  tea  in  contemplative  silence,  as  we  listened 
to  the  gentle  murmur  of  a  neighboring  brook,  and 
gazed  through  the  opening  of  our  tent  at  the  voya- 
geurSj  while  they  ate  their  supper  round  the  fire,  or 
reclining  at  length  upon  the  grass,  smoked  their  pipes 
in  silence. 

Supper  was  soon  over,  and  I  went  out  to  warm  myself, 
preparatory  to  turning  in  for  the  night.  The  men  had 
supped,  and  their  huge  forms  were  now  stretched  around 
the  fire,  enveloped  in  clouds  of  tobacco  smoke,  which 
curled  in  volumes  from  their  unshaven  lips.  They  were 
chatting  and  laughing  over  tales  of  bygone  days  ;  and 
just  as  I  came  up,  they  were  begging  Pierre  the  guide  to 
relate  a  tale  of  some  sort  or  other.  "  Come,  Pierre,"  said 
a  tall,  dark-looking  fellow,  whose  pipe,  eyes,  and  hair 
were  of  the  same  jetty  hue,  "  tell  us  how  that  Ingin  was 
killed  on  the  Labrador  coast  by  a  black  bear.  Baptiste, 
here,  never  heard  how  it  happened,  and  you  know  he's 
fond  of  wild  stories." 

"  Well,"  returned  the  guide,  "  since  you  must  have  it, 
I'll  do  what  I  can ;  but  don't  be  disappointed  if  it  isn't  so 
interesting  as  you  would  wish.  It's  a  simple  tale,  and 
not  over  long."  So  saying,  the  guide  disposed  himself 
in  a  more  comfortable  attitude,  refilled  his  pipe,  and  after 
blowing  two  or  three  thick  clouds  to  make  sure  of  its 
keeping  alight,  gave,  in  nearly  the  following  words,  an; 
account  of 

THE   DEATH   OP   WAPWIAN. 

''  It  is  now  twenty  years  since  I  saw  Wapwian,  and 
during  that  time  I  have  travelled  far  and  wide"  in  the 


208 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


!  !•  i  'I 


■: 


''  ^  I'  ■: 


I     :      -.,1 


:  ii'i  ; 


[!1 


plains  and  forests  of  America.  I  have  hunted  the  buffalo 
with  the  Seauteaux,  in  the  prairies  of  the  Saskatchewan— 
I  have  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  with  the  Blackfeet — 
and  killed  the  black  bejir  with  the  Abinikies,  on  the 
coasts  of  Labrador — but  never,  among  all  the  tribes  that 
I  have  visited,  have  I  met  an  Indian  like  Wapwian. 
It  was  not  his  form  or  his  strength  that  I  admired — 
though  the  first  was  graceful,  ^nd  the  latter  immense ; 
but  hia  disposition  was  so  kind,  and  affectionate,  and 
noble,  that  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him  loved  and 
respected  him ;  yet,  strange  to  say,  he  was  never  con- 
verted by  the  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  who  from 
time  to  time  visited  his  village.  He  listened  to  them 
with  respectful  attention,  but  always  answered  that  he 
could  worship  the  Great  Manitou  better  as  a  hunter  in 
the  forest  than  as  a  farmer  in  the  settlements  of  the  white 
men.  * 

"  Well  do  I  remember  the  first  time  I  stumbled  upon 
the  Indian  village  in  which  he  lived.  I  had  set  out  from 
Montreal  with  two  trappers  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Labra- 
dor coast ;  we  had  travelled  most  of  the  way  in  a  small 
Indian  canoe,  coasting  along  the  northern  shore  of  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  reconnoitring  in  the  woods  for 
portages  to  avoid  rounding  long  capes  and  points  of  land, 
and  sometimes  in  search  of  game — for  we  depended 
almost  entirely  upon  our  guns  for  food. 

"  It  was  upon  one  of  the  latter  occasions  that  I  went 
off,  accompanied  by  one  of  the  trappers,  while  the  other 
remained  to  watch  the  canoe  and  prepare  our  encamj)ment 
for  the  night.  "We  were  unsuccessful,  and,  after  a  long 
walk,  thought  of  returning  to  our  camp  empty-handed, 
when  a  loud  whirring  sound  in  the  bushes  attracted  our 
attention,  and  two  partridges  perched  upon  a  tree  quite 


» \ 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


209 


near  us.     We  shot  them,  and  fixing  them  in  our  belts, 
retraced  our  way  towards  the  coast  with  lighter  hearts. 
Just  as  we  emerged  from  the  dense  forest,  however, 
one  side  of  an  open  space,  a  tall,  muscular  Indian  strode 
from  among  the  bushes  and  stood  before  us.     He  was 
dressed  in  the  blanket  capote,  cloth  leggins,  and  scarlet 
cap  usually  worn  by  the  Abinikies,  and  other  tribes  of 
the  Labrador  coast.     A  red  deer-skin  shot-pouch,  and  a 
powder-horn,  hung  round  his  neck,  and  at  his  side  were  a 
beautifully  ornamented   fire-bag  and  scalping-knife.     A 
ct-->n.  n  gun  If.y  in  the  hollow  of  his  left  arm,  and  a  pair  of 
ornamented  moccasins  covered  his  feet.   He  wa?.  indeed, 
a  handsome-looking  fellow,  as  he  stood  scanning  us  rap- 
idly with  his  jet-black  eyes  while  we  approached  him. 
We  accosted  him,  and  informed  him  (for  he  understood  a 
little  French)  whence  we  oame,  and  our  object  in  visit- 
ing his  part  of  the  country.     He  received  our  advances 
kindly,  accepted  a  piece  of  tobacco  that  we  offered  him, 
and  told  us  that  his  name  was  Wapwian,  and  that  we 
were  welcome  to  remain  at  his  village — to  which  he 
offered  to  conduct  us — as  long  as  we  pleased.     After  a 
little  hesitation  we  accepted  his  invitation  to  remain  a 
few  days ;  the  more  so,  as  by  so  doing  we  would  have 
an  opportunity  of  getting  some  provisipns  to  enable  us  to 
continue  our  journey.     In  half  an  hour  we  reached  the 
brow  of  a  small  eminence,  whence  the  curling  smoke  of 
the  wigwams  was  visible.    The  tents  were  pitched  on  the 
shores  of  a  small  bay  or  inlet,  guarded  from  the  east  wind 
by  a  high  precipice  of  rugged  rocks,  around  which  hun- 
dreds of  sea-fowl  sailed  in  graceful  flights.     Beyond  this 
headland  stretched  the  majestic  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence ; 
while  to  the  left,  the  village  was  shaded  by  the  spruce- 
fir,  of  which  most  of  this  part  of  the  forest  is  composed. 

14 


i'  i; 


''\: 


1'  I 


1^:' 


lili: 


m  it's.. 


|i.  ';l'.' 


/ 


/ 


210 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


\ 


There  were,  in  all,  about  a  dozen  tents,  made  of  dressed 
deer-skin,  at  the  openings  of  which  might  be  seen  groups 
of  little  children  playing  about  on  the  grass,  or  running 
after  their  mothers  as  they  went  to  the  neighboring  rivu- 
let for  water,  or  launched  their  canoes  to  examine  the 
nets  in  the  bay. 

"  Wapwian  paused  to  gaze  an  instant  on  the  scene, 
and  then,  descending  the  hill  with  rapid  strides,  entered 
the  village,  and  despatched  a  little  boy  for  our  compan- 
ion in  the  encampment. 

"  We  were  ushered  into  a  tent  somewhat  elevated 
above  the  others,  and  sbon  were  reclining  on  a  soft  pile 
of  pine  branches,  smoking  in  company  with  our  friend 
Wapwian,  while  his  pretty  little  squaw  prepared  a  kettle 
of  fish  for  supper. 

"  We  spent  two  happy  days  in  the  village — hunting 
deer  with  our  Indian  friend,  and  assisting  the  squaws  in 
their  fishing  operations.  On  the  third  morning  we  re- 
mained in  the  camp  to  dry  the  venison,  and  prepare  for 
our  departure ;  while  Wapwian  shou'dered  his  gun,  and 
calling  to  his  nephew,  a  slim,  active  youth  of  eighteen, 
bade  him  follow  with  his  gun,  as  he  intended  to  bring 
back  a  few  ducks  for  his  white  brothers. 

"  The  two  Indians  proceeded  for  a  time  along  the 
shore,  and  then  striking  off  into  the  forest,  threaded  their 
way  among  the  thick  bushes  in  the  direction  of  a  chain 
of  small  lakes  where  wild-fowl  were  numerous. 

"  For  some  time  they  moved  rapidly  along  under  the 
sombre  shade  of  the  trees,  casting  from  time  to  time  sharp 
glances  into  the  surrounding  underwood.  Suddenly  the 
elder  Indian  paused  and  threw  forward  his  gun,  as  a 
slight  rustling  in  the  bushes  struck  his  ear.  The  boughs 
bent  and  crackled  a  few  yards  in  advance,  and  a  large 


Iressed 
groups 
unning 
g  rivu- 
ne  the 


scene, 
entered 
ompan- 

slevated 

oft  pile 

friend 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


m 


a 


kettle 


•hunting 
uaws  in 
t  we  re- 
ipare  for 
;un,  and 
eighteen, 
to  bring 

long  the 
led  their 
a  chain 

nder  the 
ne  sharp 
enly  the 
un,  as  a 
5  boughs 
a  large 


black  bear  crossed  the  path  and  entered  the  underwood 
on  the  other  side.    Wapvvian  fired  at  him  instantly,  and  a 
savage  growl  told  that  the  shot  had  taken  effect.     The 
gun,  however,  had  been  loaded  with  small  shot ,  and 
although  when  he  fired  the  bear  was  only  a  few  yards  off, 
yet  the  improbability  of  its  having  wounded  him  badly, 
and  the  distance  they  had  to  go  ero'  they  reached  the 
lakes,  inclined  him  to  give  up  the  cliase.     While  Wap- 
wian  was  loading  his  gun,  Miniquan  (his  nephew)  had 
been  examining  the  bear's  track,  and  returned,  saying 
that  he  was  sure  the  animal  must  be  badly  wounded,  for 
there  was  much  blood  on  the  track.     At  first  the  elder 
Indian  refused  to  follow  it ;  but  seeing  that  his  nephew 
wished  very  much  to  kill  the  brute,  he  at  last  consented. 
As  the  trail  of  the  bear  was  much  covered  with  blood, 
they  found  no  difficulty  in  tracking  it ;  and  after  a  short 
walk  they  found  him  extended  on  his  side  at  the  foot  of 
a  large  tree,  apparently  lifeless.    Wapwian,  however,  was 
too  experienced  a  hunter  to  trust  himself  incautiously 
within  its  reach ;  so  he  examined  the  priming  of  his  gun, 
and  then,  advancing  slowly  to  the  animal,  pushed  it  with 
the  muzzle.     In  an  instant  the  bear  sprang  upon  him, 
regardless  of  the  shot  lodged  in  its  breast,  and  in  another 
moment  Wapwian  lay  stunned  and  bleeding  at  the  mon- 
ster's feet.    Miniquan  was  at  first  so  thunderstruck,  as  he 
gazed  in  horror  at  the  savage  animal  tearing  with  bloody 
jaws  the  senseless  form  of  his  uncle,  that  he  stood  rooted 
to  the  ground.     It  was  only  for  a  moment — the  next,  his 
gun  was  at  his  shoulder,  and  after  firing  at,  but  unfortu- 
nately, in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  missing  the  bear, 
he  attacked  it  with  the  butt  of  his  gun,  which  he  soon 
shivered  to  pieces  on  its  skull.    This  drew  the  animal  for 
a  few  moments  from  Wapwian  ;  and  Miniquan,  in  hopes 


m 


^,[|: 


I 


*.. 


>.  -■. 
t  ■ 


r) 


! 

I'i 


;ii   I 


f:   ■ 


mm' 


212 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


mm 

I'j-t' 


of  leading  it  from  tlio  plnce,  ran  off  in  the  direction  of  the 
village.  The  bear,  however,  soon  gave  up  the  chase,  and 
returned  again  to  its  victim.  Miniquan  now  saw  that  the 
only  chance  of  saving  his  relative  was  to  alarm  the  vil- 
lage ;  so,  tightening  his  belt,  he  set  off'  with  the  speed  of 
the  hunted  deer  in  the  direction  of  the  camp.  In  an  in- 
credibly short  time  he  arrived,  and  soon  returned  with  the 
trappers  and  myself.  Alas  !  alas  ! "  said  the  guide  with  a 
deep  sigh,  "  it  was  too  late.  Upon  arriving  at  the  spot, 
we  found  the  bear  quite  dead,  and  the  noble,  generous 
Wapwian  extended  by  its  side,  torn  and  lacerated  m  such 
a  manner  that  we  could  scarcely  recognize  him.  He  still 
breathed  a  little,  however,  and  appeared  to  know  me,  as  I 
bent  over  him  and  tried  to  close  his  gaping  wounds.  We 
constructed  a  rude  couch  of  branches,  and  conveyed  him 
slowly  to  the  village.  No  word  of  complaint  or  cry  of 
sorrow  escaped  from  his  wife  as  we  laid  his  bleeding 
form  in  her  tent.  She  seemed  to  have  lost  the  power  of 
speech,  as  she  sat,  hour  after  hour,  gazing  in  unutterable 
despair  on  the  mangled  form  of  her  husband.  Poor 
"Wapwian  lingered  for  a  week  in  a  state  of  unconcious- 
ness. His  skull  had  been  fractured,  and  he  lay  almost  in 
a  state  of  insensibility,  and  never  spoke,  save  when  in  a 
fit  of  delirium,  his  fancy  wandered  back  to  bygone  days, 
when  he  ranged  the  forest  wiih  a  tiny  bow  in  chase  of 
little  birds  and  squirrels,  strode  in  the  vigor  of  early  man- 
hood over  frozen  plains  of  snow,  or  dashed  down  foaming 
currents  and  mighty  rivers  in  his  light  canoe.  Then  a 
shade  would  cross  his  brow  as  he  thought,  perhaps,  of  his 
recent  struggle  with  the  bear,  and  he  would  again  relapse 
into  silence. 

"  He  recovered  slightly  before  his  death  ;  and  once  he 
smiled,  as  if  he  recognized  his  wife,  but  he  never  spoke 


iftt 


HUDSON'H  BAy, 


.!■ 


213 


to  any  one.     We  ifiil^ely  knew  when  hit)  .s^jiiit  lied,  no 
calm  and  peaceful  wa,^  hist  end. 

"  Hid  body  now  reposes  beneath  the  spreading  branches 
of  a  lordly  pine,  near  the  scenes  of  his  childhood ;  whero 
he  had  spent  his  youth,  and  where  he  met  his  untimely 
end." 

^^«  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  • 

The  guide  paused,  and  looked  round  upon  his  auditors. 
Alas  !  for  the  sympathy  of  man — the  half  of  them  luid 
gone  to  sleep ;  and  Baptiste,  for  whose  benefit  the  story 
had  been  related,  lay  or  rather  sprawled  upon  the  turf 
bcliind  the  fire,  his  shaggy  head  resting  on  the  decayed 
stump  of  an  old  tree,  and  his  empty  pipe  hanging  grace- 
fully from  his  half-open  mouth.  A  slight  "  humph " 
escaped  the  worthy  guide  as  he  shook  the  ashes  from 
his  pipe,  and  rolling  his  blanket  round  him,  laid  his  head 
upon  the  ground. 

Early  the  following  morning  we  raised  the  camp  and 
continued  our  journey.  The  scenery  had  now  become 
more  wild  and  picturesque.  Large  pines  became  nu- 
merous ;  and  the  rocky  fissures,  through  which  the  river 
rushed  in  a  black  unbroken  mass,  cast  a  gloomy  shadow 
upon  us  as  we  struggled  to  ascend.  Sometimes  we  man- 
aged to  get  up  these  rapids  with  the  paddles,  and  when 
the  current  was  too  powerful,  with  long  poles,  which  the 
men  fixed  in  the  ground,  and  thus  pushed  slowly  up ; 
but  when  both  of  these  failed,  we  resorted  to  the  track- 
ing line,  upon  which  occasions  four  of  the  men  went  on 
shore  and  dragged  us  up,  leaving  four  in  the  canoe  to 
paddle  and  steer  it.  When  the  current  was  too  strong 
for  this,  they  used  to  carry  parts  of  the  cargo  to  the 
smooth  water  further  up,  and  drag  the  canoe  up  light, 
or,  taking  it  on  their  shoulders,  cai'ry  it  overland.     We 


,  1 1; 


r- 


■it 


214 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


i.1 


:  I' 


made  nine  or  ten  of  these  portages  in  two  days.  In 
the  afternoon  we  came  in  view  of  a  Roman  Catholic  mis- 
sion station,  snugly  situated  at  the  bottom  of  a  small  bay 
or  creek  ;  but  as  it  was  a  little  out  of  our  way,  and  from 
its  quiet  appearance  seemed  deserted,  we  did  not  stop. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day,  the  9th  of  Sep- 
tember, we  arrived  at  the  Company's  post,  called  Bat 
Portage  House,  where  we  were  hospitably  entertained 
for  a  few  hours  by  Mr.  M'Kenzie,  the  gentleman  in 
charge.  On  the  portage,  over  which  we  had  to  carrj-^ 
our  canoe  and  baggage,  a  large  party  of  Indians  of  both 
sexes  and  all  ages  were  collected  to  witness  our  depar- 
ture ;  and  Mr.  M'Kenzie  advised  us  to  keep  a  sharp 
look-out,  as  they  were  much  addicted  to  appropriating 
the  property  of  others  to  their  own  private  use,  provided 
they  could  find  an  opportunity  of  doing  so  unobserved ; 
so,  while  our  men  were  running  backwards  and  forwards, 
carrying  the  things  over  the  rocks,  Mr.  Bain  and  his 
lady  remained  at  one  end  to  guard  them  and  I  at  the 
other.  Everything,  however,  was  got  safely  across  ; 
the  Indians  merely  stood  looking  on,  apparently  much 
amused  with  our  proceedings,  and  nothing  seemed  further 
from  their  thoughts  than  stealing.  Just  as  we  paddled 
from  the  bank,  one  of  our  men  threw  them  a  handful  of 
tobacco,  for  which  there  was  a  great  scramble,  and  their 
noisy  voices  died  away  in  the  distance  as  we  rounded  an 
abrupt  point  of  rocks,  and  floated  out  upon  the  glorious 
expanse  of  Lac  du  Bois,  or,  as  it  is  more  frequently 
called,  the  Lake  of  the  Woods. 

There  is  nothing,  I  think,  better  calculated  to  awaken 
ihe  more  solemn  feelings  of  our  nature  (unless,  indeed, 
it  be  the  thrilling  tones  of  sacred  music)  than  these 
noble  lakes,  studded  with   innumerable  islets,  suddenly 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


215 


bursting  on  the  traveller's  view  as  he  emerges  from  the 
sombre  forest  rivers  of  the  American  wilderness.  The 
clear  unruflfled  water,  stretching  out  to  the  horizon — here 
embracing  the  heavy  and  luxuriant  foliage  of  a  hundred 
wooded  isles,  or  reflecting  the  wood-clad  mountains  on 
its  margin,  clothed  in  all  the  variegated  hues  of  autumn ; 
and  there,  glittering  with  dazzling  brilliancy  in  the  bright 
rays  of  the  evening  sun,  or  rippling  among  the  reeds 
and  rushes  of  some  shallow  bay,  where  hundreds  of  wild- 
fowl chatter,  as  they  feed,  with  varied  cry,  rendering 
more  apparent,  rather  than  disturbing,  the  solemn  still- 
ness of  the  scene ;  all  tends  to  "  raise  the  soul  from 
nature  up  to  nature's  God,"  and  reminds  one  of  the 
beautiful  passage  of  Scripture,  "  0  Lord,  how  manifold 
are  thy  works  !  in  wisdom  hast  thou  made  them  all : 
the  earth  is  full  of  thy  riches."  At  the  same  time,  when 
one  considers  how  very  few  of  the  human  race  cast  even 
a  passing  glance  on  the  beauties  of  nature  around,  one 
cannot  but  be  impressed  with  the  truth  of  the  lines, 

"  Full  many  a  flower  is  bom  to  blush  unseen, 
And  waste  its  sweetness  on  the  desert  air." 


!  ; 


At  night  we  encamped  at  the  furthest  extremity  of  the 
lake,  on  a  very  exposed  spot,  whence  we  looked  out  upon 
the  starlit  scene,  while  our  supper  was  spread  before  us 
in  the  warm  light  of  the  fire,  which  blazed  and  crackled 
as  the  men  heaped  log  after  log  upon  it,  sending  up 
clouds  of  bright  sparks  into  tlie  sky. 

Next  morning  we  commenced  the  ascent  of  Lac  la 
Pluie  River.  This  is  decidedly  the  most  beautiful  river 
we  had  yet  traversed,  not  only  on  account  of  the  luxu- 
riant foliage,  of  every  hue,  with  which  its  noble  banks 
are  covered,  but  chiefly  from  the  resemblance  it  bears  in 


Ih 


mm! 


!  ! 


'I       i 


/ 


ii  J  ii 


Mm 

i;  r  i,  i,  ■■      '■ 

mi  If  I  1 


"1 
I 


ir?--- 

•;-r-- 

iii 

II 


216 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


many  places  to  the  scenery  of  England,  recalling  to  mind 
the  grassy  lawns  and  verdant  banks  of  Britain's  streams, 
and  transpoi  ting  the  beholder  from  the  wild  scenes  of  the 
western  world  to  his  native  home.  The  trees  along  its 
banks  were  larger  and  more  varied  than  any  we  had 
hitherto  seen, — ash,  poplar,  cedar,  red  and  white  pines, 
oak,  and  birch,  being  abundant,  whilst  flowers  of  gaudy 
hues  enhanced  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  Towards  noon 
our  guide  kept  a  sharp  look-out  for  a  convenient  spot 
whereon  to  dine ;  and  ere  long  a  flat  shelving  rock, 
partly  shaded  by  trees  and  partly  exposed  to  the  blaze  of 
the  sun,  presented  itself  to  view.  The  canoe  was  soon 
along-side  of  it,  and  kept  floating  about  half  a  foot  from 
the  edge  by  means  of  two  branches,  the  two  ends  of 
which  were  fastened  to  the  bow  and  stern  of  the  canoe, 
and  the  other  two  held  to  the  ground  by  means  of  huge 
stones.  It  is  nec^^ssary  to  be  thus  careful  with  canoes, 
as  the  gum  or  pitch  mth  which  the  seams  are  plastered 
breaks  off  in  lumps,  particularly  in  cold  weather,  and 
makes  the  craft  leaky.  A  snow-white  napkin  was  spread 
on  the  flattest  part  of  the  rock,  and  so  arranged  that,  as 
we  reclined  around  it,  on  cloaks  and  blankets,  our  bodies 
down  to  the  knees  were  shaded  by  the  luxuriant  foliage 
behind  us,  while  our  feet  were  basking  in  the  solar  rays ! 
Upon  the  napkin  were  presently  placed,  by  our  active 
waiter  Gibault,  three  pewter  plates,  a  decanter  of  port 
wine,  and  a  large  ham,  together  with  a  turret  of  salt 
butter,  and  a  loaf  of  bread,  to  the  demolition  of  which 
viands  we  devoted  ourselves  with  great  earnestness.  At 
a  short  distance,  the  men  circled  round  a  huge  lump  of 
boiled  pork,  each  with  a  large  slice  of  bread  in  one  hand 
and  a  knife  in  the  other,  with  which  he  porhed  his  bread 
in  the  same  way  that  civilized  people  huUer  theirs !    Half 


i  V 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


217 


an  hour  concluded  our  raid-day  meal ;  and  then,  casting 
off  the  branches  from  the  canoe,  we  were  out  of  sight 
of  our  temporary  dining-room  in  five  minutes. 

On  the  evening  of  the  following  day  we  arrived  at  the 
Company's  post.  Fort  Frances.  The  fort  is  rather  an 
old  building,  situated  at  the  bottom  of  a  small  bay  or 
curve  in  the  river,  near  the  foot  of  a  waterfall,  whose 
thundering  roar  forms  a  ceaseless  music  to  the  inhabi- 
tants. We  found  the  post  in  charge  of  a  chief  trader, 
who  had  no  other  society  than  that  of  three  or  four 
laboring-men  ;  so,  as  may  be  supposed,  he  was  delighted 
to  see  us.  Our  men  carried  the  canoe,  &c.,  over  the 
portage  to  avoid  the  waterfall,  and,  as  it  was  then  too  late 
to  proceed  further  that  night,  we  accepted  his  pressing 
invitation  to  pass  the  night  at  the  fort.  There  was  only 
one  spare  bed  in  the  house,  but  this  was  a  matter  of  little 
moment  to  us  after  the  variety  of  beds  we  had  had  since 
starting ;  so,  spreading  a  buffalo  robe  on  the  floor  for  a 
mattress,  I  rolled  myself  in  my  blanket  and  tried  to 
sleep.  At  first  I  could  not  manage  it,  owing  to  the 
unearthly  stillness  of  a  room,  after  being  so  long  accus- 
tomed to  the  open  air  and  the  noise  of  rivers  and  cata- 
racts, but  at  last  succeeded,  and  slept  soundly  till  morning. 

Dame  Fortune  does  not  always  persecute  her  friends ; 
and  although  she  had  retarded  us  hitherto  a  good  deal 
with  contrary  winds  and  rain,  she  kindly  assisted  us 
when  we  commenced  crossing  Lac  la  Eluie  next  morn- 
ing, by  raising  a  stiff,  fair  breeze.  Now,  be  it  known 
that  a  canoe,  from  having  no  keel,  and  a  round  bottom, 
cannot  venture  to  hoist  a  sail  unless  the  wind  is  directly 
astern — the  least  bit  to  one  side  would  be  sure  to  capsize 
it ;  so  that  our  getting  the  wind  precisely  in  the  proper 
direction  at  the  commencement  was  a  great  piece  of  good 


%  ' 


I 


'.  . 


'.^ 


:.  II 


218 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


I:' 

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m 


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11 


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ill:.). 

Iflf 

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1: 

S 

■1 

fortune,  inasmuch  as  it  enabled  us  to  cross  the  lake  in 
six  hours,  instead  of  (p.s  is  generally  the  case)  taking 
one,  two,  or  three  days. 

In  the  evening  we  arrived,  in  high  spirits,  at  a  portage, 
on  which  we  encamped. 

Our  progress  now  became  a  little  more  interrupted 
by  portages  and  small  lakes,  or  rather  ponds,  through 
which  we  sometimes  passed  with  difficulty,  owing  to  the 
shallowness  of  the  water  in  many  places.  Soon  after 
this  we  came  to  the  Mecan  River,  which  we  prepared  to 
ascend.  In  making  a  portage,  we  suddenly  discovered 
a  little  Indian  boy,  dressed  in  the  extreme  of  the  Indian 
summer  fashion — in  other  words,  he  was  in  a  state  of 
perfect  nakedness,  with  ihe  exception  of  a  breech-cloth ; 
and  upon  casting  our  eyes  across  the  river  we  beheld 
his  worthy  father,  in  a  similar  costume,  busily  employed 
in  catching  fish  with  a  hand-net.  He  was  really  a  wild, 
picturesque-looking  fellow,  notwithstanding  the  scanti- 
ness of  his  dress,  and  I  was  much  inter'.'st^d  in  his  pro- 
ceedings. When  I  first  saw  him,  he  was  standing  upon 
a  rock  close  to  the  edge  of  a  foaming  rapid,  into  the 
eddies  of  which  he  gazed  intently,  with  the  net  raised  in 
the  air,  and  his  muscular  frame  motionless,  as  if  petrified 
while  in  the  act  of  striking.  Suddenly  the  net  swung 
through  the  air,  and  his  body  quivered  as  he  strained 
every  sinew  to  force  it  quickly  through  the  water ;  in  a 
moment  it  came  out  with  a  beautiful  white-fish,  upwards 
of  a  foot  long,  glittering  like  silver  as  it  struggled  in  the 
meshes.  In  the  space  of  half  an  hour  he  had  caught 
half  a  dozen  in  this  manner,  and  we  bought  three  or  four 
of  the  finest  for  a  few  plugs  of  tobacco.  His  wigwam 
and  family  were  close  at  hand ;  so,  while  our  men  crossed 
the  portage,  I  ran  up  to  see  them. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


219 


The  tent,  which  was  made  of  sheets  of  birch  bark 
sewed  together,  was  pitched  beneath  the  branches  of  a 
gigantic  pine,  upon  the  lower  limbs  of  which  hung  a  pair 
of  wornout  snow-shoes,  a  very  dirty  blanket,  and  a  short 
bow,  with  a  quiver  of  arrows  near  it.  At  the  foot  of  it, 
upon  the  ground,  were  scattered  a  few  tin  pots,  several 
pairs  of  old  moccasins,  and  a  gun ;  while  against  it  leaned 
an  Indian  cradle,  in  which  a  small  very  brown  baby, 
with  jet-black  eyes  and  hair,  stood  bolt  upright,  bask- 
ing in  the  sun's  rays,  and  bearing  a  comical  resemblance 
to  an  Egyptian  mummy.  At  the  door  of  the  lent  a 
child  of  riper  years  amused  itself  by  rolling  about  among 
the  chips  of  wood,  useless  bits  of  deer-skin,  and  filth, 
always  strewn  around  a  wigwam.  On  the  right  hand 
lay  a  pile  of  firewood,  with  an  axe  beside  it,  near  which 
crouched  a  half-starved,  wretched-looking  nondes?ript 
dog,  who  commenced  barking  vociferously  the  moment 
he  cast  eyes  upon  me.  Such  was  the  outside.  The 
interior,  filled  with  smoke  from  the  fire  and  Indians* 
pipes,  was,  if  possible,  even  dirtier.  Amid  a  large  pile 
of  rabbit-skins  reclined  an  old  woman,  busily  plucking 
the  feathers  from  a  fine  duck,  which  she  carefully  pre- 
served (the  feathers,  not  the  duck)  in  a  bag,  for  the 
purpose  of  trading  them  with  the  Company  at  a  future 
period.  Her  dress  was  a  coat  of  rabbit-skins,  so  strangely 
shaped  that  no  one  could  possibly  tell  how  she  ever 
got  it  off  or  on.  This,  however,  was  doubtless  a  mat- 
ter of  little  consequence  to  her,  as  Indians  seldom  take 
the  trouble  of  changing  their  clothes,  or  even  of  undress- 
ing at  all.  The  coat  was  fearfully  dirtj,  and  hung  upon 
her  in  a  way  that  led  me  to  suppose  she  had  worn  it 
for  six  months,  and  that  it  would  fall  off  her  in  a  few 
days.     A  pair  of  faded  blue  cloth  leggins  completed  her 


I  r    ' 


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220 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


costume — her  dirty  shoulders,  arms,  and  feet  being  quite 
destitute  of  covering ;  while  her  long  black  hair  fell  in 
tangled  masses  upon  her  neck,  and  it  was  evidently  a 
long  time  since  a  comb  had  passed  through  it.  On  the 
other  side  sat  a  younger  woman  similarly  attired,  era- 
ployed  in  mending  a  hand-net;  and  on  a  very  much 
worn  buffalo  robe  sat  a  young  man,  (probably  thy  brother 
of  the  one  we  had  seen  fishing,)  wrapped  in  a  blanket, 
smoking  his  pipe  in  silence.  A  few  dirty  little  half- 
naked  boys  lay  sprawling  among  several  packages  of  furs 
tied  up  in  birch  bark,  and  disputed  with  two  or  three  ill- 
looking  dogs  the  most  commodious  place  whereon  to  lie. 
The  fire  in  the  middle  of  the  tent  sent  up  a  cloud  of 
smoke,  which  escaped  through  an  aperture  at  the  top, 
and  from  a  cross-bar  depended  a  few  slices  of  deer-meat, 
undergoing  the  process  of  smoking. 

I  had  merely  time  to  note  all  this,  and  say,  "  What 
cheer,"  to  the  Indians,  who  returned  the  compliment 
with  a  grunt,  when  the  loud  voice  of  our  guide  ringing 
through  the  glades  of  the  forest  informed  me  that  the 
canoQ  was  ready  to  proceed. 

The  country  through  which  we  now  passed  was  very 
interesting,  on  account  of  the  variety  of  the  scenes  and 
places  through  which  we  wound  our  way.  At  times  we 
were  paddling  with  difiiculty  against  the  strong  current 
of  a  narrow  river,  which,  on  our  turning  a  point  of  land, 
suddenly  became  a  large  lake ;  and  then  after  crossing 
this,  we  arrived  at  a  portage  ;  after  passing  over  it,  there 
came  a  series  of  small  ponds  and  little  creeks,  through 
which  we  pushed  our  way  with  difiiculty ;  and  then  ar- 
rived at  another  lake,  and  more  little  rivers,  with  numer- 
ous portages.  Sometimes  ludicrous  accidents  happened 
to  us,  bad  enough  at  the  time,  but  subjects  of  mirth  after- 
wards. 


^  / 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


221 


One  cold  frosty  morning,  (for  the  weather  had  now 
become  cold,  from  the  elevation  of  the  country  through 
which  we  were  passing,)  vnile  the  canoe  was  going 
quietly  over  a  small  reedy  lake  or  ford,  I  was  awakened 
out  of  a  nap,  and  told  that  the  canoe  was  aground,  and  I 
must  get  out  and  walk  a  little  way  to  lighten  her.  Has- 
tily pulling  up  my  trousers,  (for  I  always  travelled  bare- 
foot,) I  sprang  over  the  side  into  the  water,  and  the  canoe 
left  me.  Now  all  this  happened  so  quickly  that  I  was 
scarcely  awake ;  but  the  bitterly  cold  water,  which  nearly 
reached  my  knees,  cleared  up  my  faculties  most  effect- 
ually, and  I  then  found  that  I  was  fifty  yards  from  the 
shore,  with  an  unknown  depth  of  water  around  me,  the 
canoe  out  of  sight  ahead  of  me,  and  Mr.  Bain  (who  had 
been  turned  out  while  half  asleep  also)  standing  with  a 
rueful  expression  of  countenance  beside  me.  After  feel- 
ing :  ,r  way  cautiously — for  the  bottom  was  soft  and 
muddy — we  reached  the  shore ;  and  then,  thinking  that 
all  was  right,  proceeded  to  walk  round  to  join  the  canoe. 
Alas !  we  found  the  bushes  so  thick,  that  they  were  very 
nearly  impenetrable ;  and,  worse  than  all,  that  they,  as 
well  as  the  ground,  were  covered  with  thorns,  which 
scratched  and  lacerated  our  feet  most  fearfully  at  every 
step.  There  was  nothing  for  it,  however,  but  to  per- 
severe ;  and  after  a  painful  walk  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile, 
we  overtook  the  canoe,  vowing  never  to  leap  before  we 
looked  upon  any  other  occasion  whatsoever. 

In  this  way  we  proceeded,  literally  over  hill  and  dale, 
in  our  canoe,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  ascended 
Mecan  River,  and  traversed  Cross  Lake,  Malign  River, 
Sturgeon  Lake,  Lac  du  Mort,  Mille  Lac,  besides  a  great 
number  of  smaller  sheets  of  water  without  names,  and 
many  portages  of  vai'.ous  lengths  and  descriptions,  till 


I  i 


i'l; 


*1>i]  i 


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f  . 

1 

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■i   . 

II,;: 

r  I 

I  J  ■ 


222 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


■I 


I, If 
■     III 

'1*1'  ? 


V  I 


I  w3 


the  evening  of  the  19th,  when  we  ascended  the  beautiful 
little  river  called  the  Savan,  and  arrived  at  the  Savan 
Portage.  . 

Thirty  years  ago,  in  the  time  of  the  Northwest  Com- 
pany, the  echoes  among  these  wild  solitudes  were  far 
oftener  and  more  loudly  awakened  than  they  are  now. 
The  reason  of  it  was  this.  The  Northwest  Company, 
having  their  head-quarters  at  Montreal,  and  being  com- 
posed chiefly  of  Canadian  adventurers,  imported  their 
whole  supplies  into  the  country,  and  exported  all  their 
furs  out  of  it,  in  north  canoes,  by  the  same  route  over 
which  we  now  travelled.  As  they  carried  on  business  on 
a  large  scale,  it  may  be  supposed  that  the  traffic  was 
correspondingly  great.  No  less  than  ten  brigades  (each 
numbering  twenty  canoes)  used  to  pass  through  these 
scenes  during  the  summer  months.  No  one  who  has  not 
experienced  it,  can  form  an  adequate  idea  of  the  thrilling 
effect  the  passing  of  these  brigades  must  have  had  upon 
a  stranger.  I  have  seen  four  canoes  sweep  round  a 
promontory  suddenly,  and  burst  upon  my  view ;  while  at 
the  same  moment  the  wild,  romantic  song  of  the  voya- 
geurs,  as  they  plied  their  brisk  paddles,  struck  upon  my 
ear,  and  I  have  felt  thrilling  enthusiasm  on  witnessing 
such  a  scene.  What,  then,  must  have  been  the  feelings 
of  those  who  had  spent  a  long,  dreary  winter  in  the  wild 
Northwest,  far  removed  from  the  bustle  and  excitement 
of  the  civilized  world,  when  thirty  or  forty  of  these  pic- 
turesque canoes  burst  unexpectedly  upon  them,  half 
shrouded  in  the  spray  that  flew  from  the  bright  vermilion 
paddles,  while  the  men  who  had  overcome  difTiculties  and 
dangers  innumerable  during  a  long  voyage  through  the 
wilderness,  urged  their  light  craft  over  the  troubled  water 
with  the  speed  of  the  reindeer,  and  with  hearts  joyful  at 


HUDSON'S  «AY. 


223 


the  happy  termination  of  their  trials  and  privations,  sang, 
with  all  the  force  of  three  hundred  manly  voices,  one  of 
their  lively  airs,  which,  rising  and  falling  faintly  in  the 
distance  as  h  was  boy  \  first  lightly  on  the  breeze,  and 
then  more  steadily  as  they  approached,  swelled  out  in  the 
rich  tones  of  n^any  a  mellow  voice,  and  burst  at  last  into 
a  long  enthusiastic  shout  of  joy ! 

Alas !  the  forests  no  longer  echo  to  such  sounds.  The 
passage  of  three  or  four  canoes,  once  or  twice  a  year,  is 
all  that  breaks  the  stillness  of  the  scene;  and  nought, 
save  narrow  pathways  over  the  portages  and  rough 
wooden  crosses  over  the  graves  of  the  travellers  who 
perished  by  the  way,  remains  to  mark  that  such  things 
were. 

Of  these  marks,  the  Savan  Portage,  at  which  we  had 
arrived,  was  one  of  the  most  striking.  A  long  succession 
of  boiling  rapids  and  waterfalls  having  in  days  of  yore  * 
obstructed  the  passage  of  the  fur  traders,  they  had  landed 
at  the  top  of  them,  and  cut  a  pathway  through  the  woods, 
which  happened  at  this  place  to  be  exceedingly  swampy 
— Whence  the  name  Savan,  or  swampy,  Portage.  To  ren- 
der the  road  more  passable,  they  had  cut  down  trees, 
which  they  placed  side  by  side  along  its  whole  extent, 
which  was  about  three  miles,  and  over  this  wooden  plat- 
form carried  their  canoes  and  cargoes  with  perfect  ease. 
After  the  coalition  of  the  two  companies,  and  the  conse- 
quent carriage  of  the  furs  to  England  by  Hudson's  Bay, 
instead  of  to  Canada  by  the  lakes  and  rivers  of  the  inte- 
rior, these  roads  were  neglected  and  got  out  of  repair ; 
and,  consequently,  we  found  the  logs  over  the  portage 
decayed,  and  trees  fallen  across  them,  so  that  our  men,  in- 
stead of  running  quickly  over  them,  were  constantly  break- 
ing through  the  rotten  wood,  sinking  up  to  the  knees  in 


i   . , ! 


ill. 


W  !. 


224 


HUDCON'S  BAY. 


||:^ 


•i( 


n 


H    V, 


mud,  nnd  scrambling  over  trees  and  branches.  We  got 
over  at  last,  however,  in  about  two  hours  ;  and  after  pro- 
ceeding a  little  further,  arrived  at  and  encamped  upon  the 
Prairie  Portage,  by  the  side  of  a  vogageur's  grave,  which 
was  marked  as  usual  with  a  wooden  cross,  on  which  some 
friendly  hand  had  cut  a  rude  inscription.  Time  had  now 
rendered  it  quite  illegible.  This  is  the  height  of  land, 
dividing  the  waters  which  flow  northward  into  Hudson's 
Bay  from  those  which  flow  in  a  southerly  direction  through 
the  great  lakes  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

A  few  pages  from  ray  journal  hde  may  serve  to  give 
a  better  idea  of  the  characteristics  of  our  voyage  than 
could  be  conveyed  in  narrative : —    •      , 

Saturday,  20th  September. — "We  crossed  the  Prairie  \ 
Portage  this  morning,  a  distance  of  between  three  and  ' 
four  miles,  and  breakfasted  at  the  upper  end  of  it. 
Amused  myself  by  sketching  the  view  from  a  neighbor- 
ing hill.  After  crossing  two  more  portages,  and  a  variety 
of  small  lakes,  we  launched  our  canoe  on  the  bosom  of  the 
river  Du  Chien,  and  began  for  the  first  time,  since  the 
commencement  of  our  journey  to  descend,  having  passed 
over  the  height  of  land.  We  saw  several  gray  grouse 
here,  and  in  the  evening  one  of  our  men  caught  one  in  a 
curious  manner.  They  were  extremely  tame,  and  allowed 
us  to  approach  them  very  closely,  so  Baptiste  determined 
to  catch  one  for  supper.  Cutting  a  long  branch  from  a 
neighboring  tree,  he  tied  a  running  noose  on  one  end  of 
it,  and  going  quietly  up  to  the  bird,  put  the  noose  gently 
over  its  head,  and  pulled  it  off  the  tree  !  This  is  a  com- 
mon practice  among  the  Indians,  particularly  when  they 
have  run  short  of  gunpowder. 

Sunday,  21s^ — Crossed  Lac  du  Chien,  and  made  the 
portage  of  the  same  name,  from  the  top  cf  which  we  had 


HUDSON'S   BAY. 


225 


n  most  beautiful  view  of  the  whole  countrj'  for  raihis 
round.  Having  crossed  this  portage,  we  proceeded  down 
tlie  Kamenistaquoia  River,  on  the  banks  of  which,  after 
making  another  portage,  we  pitched  our  tents. 

Monday,  22c?. — Rain  obliged  us  to  put  ashore  this 
morning.  Nothing  can  be  more  wretched  than  travelling 
in  rainy  weather.  The  men,  poor  fellows,  do  not  make 
the  least  attempt  to  keep  themselves  dry  ;  but  the  pas- 
sengers endeavor,  by  means  of  oiled  cloths,  to  keep  out 
the  wet — and  under  this  they  broil  and  suffocate,  till  at 
last  they  are  obliged  to  throw  off  the  covering.  Even 
were  this  not  the  case,  we  should  still  be  wretched,  as  the 
rain  always  finds  its  way  in  somewhere  or  other  ;  and  I 
have  been  often  awakened  from  a  nap  by  the  cold  trick- 
ling of  moisture  down  my  back,  and  have  discovered, 
ui)on  moving,  that  I  w^as  lying  in  a  pool  of  water.  Ashore, 
we  are  generally  a  little  more  comfortable,  but  not  much. 
Alter  dinner  we  again  started,  and  advanced  on  our  jour- 
ney till  sunsc  . 

Tuesday,  2Sd. — To-day  we  advanced  very  slowly, 
owing  to  the  shallowness  of  the  water,  and  crossed  a 
number  of  portages.  During  the  day  we  ran  several 
rapids.  This  is  very  exciting  work.  Upon  nearing  the 
head  of  a  large  rapid,  the  men  strain  every  muscle  to 
urge  the  canoe  forward  more  quickly  than  the  water,  so 
that  it  may  steer  better.  The  bowsman  and  steersman 
stand  erect,  guiding  the  frail  bark  through  the  more  un- 
broken places  in  the  fierce  current,  which  hisses  and 
foams  around,  as  if  eager  to  swallow  us  up.  Now  we 
rush,  with  lightning  force,  towards  a  rock,  against  which 
the  water  dashes  in  fury,  and,  to  an  uninitiated  traveller, 
we  appear  to  be  on  the  point  of  destruction ; — but  one 
vigorous  stroke  from  the   bowsman  aiid  steersman  (for 

15 


) 


i  I 


i-r' 


'1-il 


i^ii 


;i  r>  < 


.•it  i ' 


>•-■'* 


22G 


HUDSON'S   IJAV. 


^1 X.  -J- 


m\n 


mm 


they  always  act  in  ooncert)  sends  the  light  erat't  at  a  sharp 
angle  from  the  iin[)eniling  danger,  and  away  we  plungo 
again  over  the  surging  waters — sometimes  floating  for 
an  instant  in  a  small  eddy,  and  hovering,  as  it  were, 
to  choose  our  path,  and  then  phniging  swiftly  forward 
again  through  the  windings  of  the  stream,  till,  having 
passed  the  whole  in  safety,  we  float  in  the  smooth  water 
below. 

Accidents,  as  may  be  supposed,  often  happen  ;  and  to- 
day we  found  that  there  is  danger  as  well  as  pleasure  in 
running  the  rapids.  We  had  got  over  a  great  part  of  the 
day  in  safety,  and  were  in  the  act  of  running  the  first 
part  of  the  Hose  Rapid,  when  our  canoe  struck  upon  a 
rock,  and,  wheeling  round  ^/ith  its  broadside  to  the  stream, 
began  to  fill  quickly.  I  could  hear  the  timbers  cracking 
beneath  me  under  the  immense  pressure — another  minute, 
and  we  should  have  been  gone  ;  but  our  men,  who  were 
active  fellows,  and  well  accustomed  to  such  dangers, 
sprang  simultaneously  over  the  side  of  the  canoe,  which, 
being  thus  lightened,  passed  over  the  rock,  and  rushed 
down  the  remainder  of  the  rapid  stern  foremost,  ere  the 
men  could  scramble  in  and  resume  their  paddles.  When 
rapids  were  very  dani^^erous,  most  of  the  cargo  was  gener- 
ally disembarked,  and  while  one  half  of  the  crew  carried 
it  round  to  the  still  water  below,  the  other  half  ran  down 
light.   " 

Crossed  two  small  portages  and  the  Mountain  Portage 
in  the  afterno'M  )n  the  latter  of  which  I  went  to  see  a 
waterfall  \^  I  was  told  was  in   its  vicinity.     I  had 

great  ditficu  ^  in  finding  it  at  first,  but  its  thundering 
roar  soon  gnuleA  rae  to  a  spot  from  which  it  was  visible. 
Truly,  a  graokier  waterfall  I  never  saw  !  The  whole 
river,  which    vas  pretty  broad,  plunged  in  one   broad 


a  shai'i) 

plunge 

ing  for 

were, 

forward 

having 

,h  water 


and  to- 
asure  in 
Lit  of  the 
the  first 
:  upon  a 
13  stream, 
cracking 
r  minute, 
vho  were 

danger?!, 
)e,  which, 
d  rushed 
it,  ere  the 
i.  When 
/as  gener- 
w  carried 
ran  down 

n  Portage 
to  see  a 
y.  I  had 
hundering 
'as  visible, 
"he  whole 
)ne   bioad 


VI Kn    FKOM  THK   l)0(i    POUTAr.E 


l'M(.'(>    '2'Jti 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


229 


\ 


white  sheet  over  a  precipice,  higher  by  a  few  feet,  than 
the  famous  Falls  of  Niagara ;  and  the  spray  from  the  foot 
sprang  high  into  the  air,  bedewing  the  wild,  precipitous 
crags  with  which  the  fall  is  encompassed,  and  the  gloomy 
pines  that  hang  about  the  clefts  and  fissures  of  the  rocks. 
Fur  traders  have  given  it  the  name  of  the  Mountain  Fall, 
from  a  peculiar  mountain  in  its  vicinity ;  but  the  natives 
call  it  the  Kackabecka  Falls.  After  making  a  sketch  of 
it,  and  getting  myself  thoroughly  wet  in  so  doing,  I  re- 
turned to  the  canoe. 

In  the  evening  we  encamped  within  nine  miles  of  Fort 
William,  having  lost  one  of  our  men,  who  went  ashore  to 
lighten  the  canoe  while  we  ran  a  rapid.  After  a  good 
deal  of  trouble  we  found  him  again,  but  too  late  to  admit 
of  our  proceeding  to  the  fort  that  night. 

Wednesday,  2Ath. — Early  this  morning  we  left  the 
encampment,  and  after  two  hours'  paddling  Fort  William 
burst  upon  our  gaze,  mirrored  in  the  limpid  waters  of 
Lake  Superior,  that  immense  freshwater  sea,  whose  rocky 
shores  and  rolling  billows  vie  with  the  ocean  itself  in 
grandeur  and  magnificence. 

Fort  William  was  once  one  of  the  chief  posts  in  the 
Indian  country,  and,  when  it  belonged  to  the  Northwest 
Company,  contained  a  great  number  of  men.  Now,  how- 
ever, much  of  its  glory  has  departed.  Many  of  the 
buildings  have  been  pulled  down,  and  those  that  remain 
are  very  rickety-looking  affairs.  It  is  still,  however,  a 
very  important  fishing  station,  and  many  hundreds  of 
beautiful  white-fish,  with  which  Lake  Superior  swarms, 
are  salted  there  annually  for  the  Canada  markets.  These 
white-fish  are  indeed  excellent,  and  it  is  difficult  to  say 
whether  they,  or  the  immense  trout  which  are  also  caught 
in  abundance,  have  the  most  delicate  flavor.    These  trout, 


m 


iiii 


■  : 

% 

i: 

1  [■ 

>  i 

I:  > 


'  !l 


230 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


If 


i»  I 


[■MM" 


II 


as  well  as  white-fish,  are  caught  in  nets,  and  the  former 
sometimes  measure  three  feet  long,  and  are  propor- 
tionately broad.  The  one  we  had  to  breakfast  on  the 
morning  of  our  arrival,  must  have  been  very  nearly  this 
size. 

The  fur  trade  of  the  post  is  not  very  good,  but  the  furs 
traded  are  similar  to  those  obtained  in  other  parts  of  the 
country. 

A  number  of  canotes  de  maitre,  or  very  large  canoes, 
are  always  kept  in  store  here,  for  the  use  of  the  Com- 
pany's travellers.  These  canoes  are  of  the  largest  size, 
exceeding  the  north  canoe  in  length  by  several  feet,  be- 
sides being  much  broader  and  deeper.  They  are  used 
solely  for  the  purpose  of  travelling  on  Lake  Superior,  be- 
ing much  too  large  and  cumbersome  for  travelling  with 
through  the  interior.  They  are  carried  by  four  men  in- 
stead of  two,  like  the  north  canoe,  and,  besides  being  ca- 
pable of  carrying  twice  as  much  cargo,  are  paddled  by 
fourteen  or  sixteen  men.  Travelle.o  from  Canada  to  the 
interior  generally  change  their  canotes  de  maitre  for  north 
canoes  at  Fort  William,  before  entering  upon  the  intri- 
cate navigation  through  which  we  had  already  passed  ; 
while  those  going  from  the  interior  to  Canada  change  the 
small  for  the  large  canoe.  As  we  had  few  men,  however, 
and  the  weather  appeared  settled,  we  determined  to  risk 
coasting  round  the  northern  shore  of  the  lake  in  our  north 
canoe. 

The  scenery  around  the  fort  is  very  pretty.  In  its  im- 
mediate vicinity  the  land  is  fiat,  covered  with  small  trees 
and  willows,  which  are  agreeably  suggestive  of  partridges 
and  other  game ;  but  in  the  distance  rise  goodly-sized 
mountains  ;  and  on  the  left  hand,  the  noble  expanse  of 
the  Lake  Superior,  with  rocky  islands    on  its   mighty 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


231 


bosom  and  abrupt  hills  on  its  shores,  stretches  out  to  the 
horizon.  The  fort  is  built  at  the  mouth  of  the  Karaenis- 
taquoia  River,  and  from  its  palisades  a  beautiful  view  of 
the  surrounding  country  can  be  obtained. 

As  the  men  wanted  rest,  and  our  canoe  a  little  repair, 
we  determined  to  remain  all  day  at  Fort  William ;  so 
some  of  the  men  employed  themselves  re-gumming  the 
canoe,  while  others  spread  out  our  blankets  and  tents  to 
dry.  This  last  was  very  necessary,  as  on  the  journey  we 
have  little  time  to  spare  from  eating  and  sleeping  while 
on  shore,  and  many  a  time  have  I,  in  consequence,  slept 
in  a  wet  blanket. 

The  fair  lady  of  the  gentleman  in  charge  of  the  fort 
was  the  only  lady  at  the  place,  and,  indeed,  the  only  one 
within  a  circuit  of  six  hundred  miles,  which  space,  being 
the  primeval  forest,  was  inhabited  only  by  wild  beasts 
•  1  a  few  Indians.  She  was,  consequently,  very  much 
Iciighted  to  meet  with  Mrs.  Bain,  who,  having  for  so 
many  days  seen  no  one  but  rough  voyageurs,  was  equally 
delighted  to  meet  her.  While  they  went  off  to  make  the 
most  of  each  other,  Mr.  Bain  and  I  sauntered  about  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  fort,  admiring  the  beauty  of  the  scenery, 
and  paid  numerous  visits  to  a  superb  dairy  in  the  fort, 
which  overflowed  with  milk  and  cream.  I  rather  think 
that  we  admired  the  dairy  more  than  the  scenery.  There 
were  a  number  of  cows  at  the  post,  a  few  of  which  we 
encountered  in  our  walk,  and  also  a  good  ii!«iny  pigs  and 
sheep.  In  the  evening  we  returned,  and  at  tea  were  in- 
troduce'' to  a  postmaster,  who  had  been  absent  when  we 
arrived.  This  postmaster  turned  out  to  be  a  firstrate 
player  of  Scotch  reels  on  the  violin.  He  was  self-taught, 
and  truly  the  sweetness  and  precision  with  which  he 
played  every  note  and  trill  of  the  rapid  reel  and  strath- 


;'  '■  fi 


,  .  t  I'  I  ; 

:       i.  I  i 
!t.  1:1;  U,;| 


1 


,    ( 


ItJ*-'  ll 


232 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


:i,  ^ 


spey  might  have  made  Neil  Gow  himself  envious.  So 
beautiful  and  inspiriting  were  they,  that  Mr.  Bain  and 
our  host,  who  were  both  genuine  Highlanders,  jumped 
simultaneously  from  their  seats,  in  an  ecstasy  of  enthu- 
^*  .'sm,  and  danced  to  the  lively  music  till  the  very  walls 
,aook,  much  to  the  amusement  of  th':  two  ladies,  who, 
having  been  both  born  in  Canada,  could  not  so  well  ap- 
preciate the  music.  Indeed  the  musician  himself  looked 
a  little  astonished,  being  quite  ignorant  of  the  endearing 
recollections  and  associations  recalled  to  the  memory  of 
the  two  Highlanders  by  the  rapid  notes  of  his  violin. 
They  were  not,  however,  to  be  contented  with  one  reel ;  so, 
after  fruitlessly  attempting  to  make  the  ladies  join  us;  we 
sent  over  to  the  men's  houses  for  the  old  Canadian  wife 
of  Pierre  Lattinville,  and  her  two  blooming  daughters. 
They  soon  came,  and  after  much  coyness,  blushing,  and 
hesitation,  at  last  stood  up,  and  under  the  inspiring  influ- 
ence of  the  violin,  we 

"  Danced  till  we  were  like  to  fa'  »    ' 

i  The  reel  o' TuUochgorum !  " 

and  did  not  cease  till  the  lateness  of  the  hour  and  the 
exhaustion  of  our  musician  compelled  us  to  give  in. 

On  the  following  morning  we  bade  adieu  to  the  good 
people  at  Fort  William,  and  began  our  journey  along  the 
northern  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  which  is  upwards  of 
three  hundred  miles  in  diameter.  Fortune,  however,  is 
proverbially  fickle,  and  she  did  not  belie  her  character  on 
this  particular  day.  The  weather,  when  we  started,  was 
calm  and  clear,  which  pleased  us  much,  as  we  had  to  make 
what  is  called  a  traverse — that  is,  to  cross  from  one  point 
of  land  to  another,  instead  of  coasting  round  a  very  deep 
bay.  The  traverse  which  we  set  out  to  make  on  leaving 
Fort  William  was  fourteen  miles  broad,  which  made  it  of 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


233 


)U9.  So 
lain  and 
jumped 
f  enthu- 
iry  walla 
ies,  who, 
well  ap- 
f  looked 
adearing 
3mory  of 
is  violin. 
I'eel ;  so, 
in  US;  we 
iian  wife 
aughters. 
ling,  and 
ng  influ- 


and  the 
in. 

the  good 
ilong  the 
wards  of 
wever,  is 
racter  on 
rted,  was 

to  make 
)ne  point 
ery  deep 
1  leaving 
lade  it  of 


some  consequence  our  having  a  calm  day  to  cross  it  in 
our  little  egg-shell  o^  a  canoe.  Away  we  went,  then,  over 
the  clear  lake,  singing  "  Rose  Blanche  "  vociferously.  We 
had  already  gone  a  ff^v:  miles  of  the  distance,  when  a 
dark  cloud  rose  on  the  seaward  horizon.  Presently  the 
water  darkened  under  the  influence  of  a  stiff  breeze ;  and 
in  less  than  half  an  hour  the  waves  were  rolling  and  boil- 
ing around  us  like  those  of  the  Atlantic.  Ahead  of  us 
lay  a  small  island,  about  a  mile  distant,  and  towards  this 
the  canoe  was  steered ;  while  the  men  urged  it  forward 
as  quickly  as  the  roughness  of  the  sea  would  allow.  Still 
the  wind  increased,  and  the  island  was  not  yet  gained. 
Some  of  the  waves  had  broken  over  the  edge  of  the 
canoe,  and  she  was  getting  filled  with  water ;  but  a  kind 
Providence  permitted  us  to  reach  the  island  in  safety, 
though  not  in  comfort,  as  most  of  the  men  were  much 
wet,  and  many  of  them  a  good  deal  frightened. 

On  landing,  we  pitched  our  tents,  made  a  fire,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  dry  ourselves,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  were 
as  comfortable  as  possible.  The  island  on  which  we  had 
encamped  was  a  small  rocky  one,  covered  with  short 
heathery-looking  shrubs,  among  which  we  found  thou- 
sands of  blaeberries.  On  walking  round  to  the  other  side 
of  it,  I  discovered  an  Indian  encamped  with  his  family. 
He  supplied  us  with  a  fine  white-fish,  for  which  our  men 
gave  him  a  little  tobacco  and  a  bit  of  the  fresh  mutton 
v/hich  we  had  brought  with  us  from  Fort  William. 

Three  days  did  we  remain  on  this  island,  while  the 
wind  and  waves  continued  unceasingly  to  howl  and  lash 
around  it,  as  if  they  wished,  in  their  disappointment,  to 
beat  it  down  and  swallow  us  up,  island  and  all ;  but, 
towards  the  close  of  the  third  day,  the  gale  moderated  and 
we  ventured  again  to  attempt  the  traverse.     This  time 


m 


234 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


\>  " 


m  h 


ps 


we  succeeded,  and  in  two  hours  passed  Thunder  Point, 
on  the  other  side  of  which  we  encamped. 

The  next  day  we  could  only  travel  till  breakfast-time, 
as  the  wind  again  increased  so  much  as  to  oblige  us  to 
put  ashore.  We  comforted  ourselves,  however,  with  the 
prospect  of  a  good  mutton-chop. 

Tb ;  "re  was  soon  made,  the  kettle  on,  and  everything 
in  pr  .^-ation,  when  the  dreadful  discovery  was  made 
that  tne  whole  of  the  fresh  mutton  had  been  forgotten  I 
Words  cannot  paint  our  consternation  at  this  discovery. 
Poor  Mrs.  Bain  sat  in  mute  despair,  thinking  of  the  mis- 
ery of  being  reduced  again  to  salt  pork  ;  while  her  hus- 
band, who  had  hitherto  stood  aghast,  jumped  suddenly 
forward,  and  seizing  a  bag  of  fine  potatoes  that  had 
been  given  to  the  men,  threw  it,  in  a  transport  of  rage, 
into  the  lake,  vowing  that  as  we  were,  by  their  negli- 
gence, to  be  deprived  of  our  mutton,  they  certainly  should 
also  be  sufferers  with  us. 

It  was  very  laughable  to  behold  the  rueful  countenances 
of  the  men,  as  their  beautiful,  large,  white  potatoes  sank 
to  the  bottom  of  the  clear  water,  and  shone  brightly  there, 
as  if  to  tantalize  them,  while  the  rippling  water  caused 
them  to  quiver  so  much,  that  the  lake  seemed  to  rest  on 
a  pavement  of  huge  potatoes !  None  dared,  however, 
attempt  to  recover  one ;  but,  after  a  while,  when  Mr. 
Bain's  back  was  turned,  a  man  crept  cautiously  down  to 
the  water's  edge,  and  gathered  as  many  as  were  within 
reach, — always,  however,  keeping  an  eye  on  his  master, 
and  stooping  in  an  attitude  that  would  permit  of  his 
bolting  up  on  the  slightest  indication  of  a  wrathful  move- 
ment. 

It  would  be  tedious,  as  well  as  unnecessary,  to  recount 
here  all  the  minutiae  of  our  voyage  across  Lake  Superior ; 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


235 


I  shall  merely  touch  on  a  few  of  the  more  particular  in- 
cidents. 

On  the  1st  of  October  we  arrived  at  the  Pic  House,* 
where  we  spent  the  night ;  and,  after  a  rough  voyage, 
reached  Michipicoton  on  the  4th.  Our  voyage  along 
Lake  Superior  was  very  stormy  and  harassing,  remind- 
ing us  often  of  Lake  Winnipeg.  Sometimes  we  were  pad- 
dling along  over  the  smooth  water,  and  at  other  times 
lying-by,  while  the  lake  was  ^Hished  into  a  mass  of  foam 
and  billows  by  a  strong  gale.  So  much  detention,  and 
the  lateness  of  the  season,  rendered  it  necessary  to  take 
advantage  of  every  lull  and  calm  hour  that  occurred,  so 
that  we  travelled  a  good  deal  during  the  night.  This 
sort  of  travelling  was  very  romantic. 

On  one  occasion,  after  having  been  ashore  two  days, 
the  wind  moderated  in  the  afternoon,  and  we  determined 
to  proceed  if  possible.  The  sun  set  gloriously,  giving 
promise  of  fine  weather.  The  sky  was  clear  and  cloud- 
less and  the  lake  calm.  For  an  hour  or  so,  the  men  sang 
as  they  paddled,  but  as  the  shades  of  evening  fell,  they 
ceased ;  and  as  it  was  getting  rather  chilly,  I  wrapped 
myself  in  my  green  blanket  (which  served  me  for  a  boat- 
cloak  as  well  as  a  bed),  and  soon  fell  fast  asleep. 

How  long  I  slept  I  know  not ;  but  when  I  awoke,  the 
regular,  rapid  hiss  of  the  paddles  struck  upon  my  ear,  and 
upon  throwing  off  the  blanket,  the  first  thing  that  met  my 
eye  was  the  dark  sky  spangled  with  the  most  gorgeous 
and  brilliant  stars  I  ever  beheld.  The  whole  scene,  in- 
deed, was  one  of  the  most  magnificent  and  awful  that  can 
be  imagined.  On  our  left  hand  rose  tremendous  precipices 
and  cliffs,  around  the  bottom  and  among  the  caverns  of 

*  It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  that  all  the  establishments  we  passed 
on  the  way  belonged  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 


ri  • 


iiji^ 


M 


# 


236 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


•Ur 


I  I 


which  the  black  waters  of  the  lake  curlecf  quietly,  (for  a 
most  deathlike,  unearthly  calm  prevailed,)  sending  forth 
a  faint,  hollow  murmur,  which  ended  at  long  intervals  in 
a  low,  melancholy  cadence.  Before  and  behind  us,  abrupt, 
craggy  islands  rose  from  the  water,  assuming  every  im- 
aginable and  unimaginable  shape  in  the  uncertain  light ; 
while  on  the  righi,  the  eye  ranged  over  the  inky  lake,  till 
it  was  lost  in  thick  darkness.  A  thin,  transparent  night- 
fog  added  to  the  mystical  appearance  of  the  scene,  upon 
which  I  looked  with  mingled  feelings  of  wonder  and  awe. 
The  only  distinct  sound  that  could  be  heard  was  the 
measured  sound  of  the  paddles,  which  the  men  plied  in 
silence,  as  if  unwilling  to  break  the  stillness  of  the  night. 
Suddenly  the  guide  uttered  in  a  hoarse  whisper,  "  A 
terre ! "  startling  the  sleepy  men,  and  rendering  the  suc- 
ceeding silence  still  more  impressive. 

The  canoe  glided  noiselessly  through  a  maze  of  narrow 
passages  among  the  tall  cliffs,  and  grounded  on  a  stony 
beach.  Everything  was  then  carried  up,  and  the  tents 
pitched  in  the  dark,  as  no  wood  could  be  conveniently 
found  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  fire  ;  and  without  tak- 
ing any  supper,  or  even  breaking  the  solemn  silence  of 
the  night,  we  spread  our  beds  as  we  best  could  upon  the 
round  stones  (some  of  which  were  larger  than  a  man's 
fist),  and  sank  into  repose.  About  a  couple  of  hours 
afterwards  we  were  roused  by  the  anxious  gui^e,  and 
told  to  embark  again.  In  this  way  we  travelled  at  night 
or  by  day,  as  the  weather  permitted,  and  even,  upon  one 
or  two  occasions,  both  night  and  day,  till  the  12th  of  Oc- 
tober, when  we  arrived  at  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie — which 
is  situated  at  the  termination  of  Lake  Superior — just  as 
our  provisions  were  exhausted. 
.    We  had  thus  taken  eighteen  days  to  coast  the  lake. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


237 


ly,  (for  a 
ling  forth 
tervals  in 
s,  abrupt, 
jvery  im- 
lin  light; 
'  lake,  till 
int  night- 
jne,  upon 
and  awe. 
was  the 
plied  in 
he  night, 
per,  "A 
;  the  suc- 

if  narrow 
1  a  stony 
the  tents 
i^eniently 
lout  tak- 
ilence  of 
upon  the 

a  man's 
[)f  hours 
i^e,  and 

at  night 
ipon  one 
1  of  Oc- 
— which 
—just  as 

he  lake. 


'■■ 


This  was  very  slow  going  indeed,  the  usual  time  for 
coasting  the  lake  in  a  north  canoe  being  from  eight  to 
ten  days. 

The  Sault  de  Ste.  Mario  is  a  large  rapid,  which  carries 
the  water§  of  Lake  Superior  into  Lake  Huron.  It  sep- 
arates the  British  from  the  American  possessions,  and  is 
fortified  on  the  American  side  by  a  large  wooden  fort,  in 
which  a  body  of  soldiers  are  constantly  resident.  There 
is  also  a  pretty  large  village  of  Americans,  which  is  rap- 
idly increasing  The  British  side  is  not  fortified,  and, 
indeed,  there  are  no  houses  of  any  kind  except  the  few 
belonging  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  •  This  may  be 
considered  the  extreme  outskirts  of  civilization,  being  the 
first  place  where  I  had  seen  any  number  of  people  col- 
lected together  who  were  unconnected  with  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company. 

I  was  not  destined,  however,  to  enjoy  the  sight  of 
new  faces  long ;  for  next  morning  we  started  to  coast 
round  the  northern  and  uninhabited  shores  of  Lake  Hu- 
ron, and  so  down  the  Ottawa  to  Montreal.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bain  left  me  here,  and  proceeded  by  the  route  of  the 
Lakes. 

During  the  next  few  days  we  travelled  through  a  num- 
ber of  rivers  and  lakes  of  various  sizes ;  among  the  latter 
were  Lakes  Huron  and  Nipisingue.  In  crossing  the  lat- 
ter, I  observed  a  point  on  which  were  erected  fourteen 
rough  wooden  crosses ;  such  an  unusual  sight  excited  my 
curiosity,  and  upon  inquiring,  I  found  that  they  were 
planted  there  to  mark  the  place,  where  a  canoe,  contain- 
ing fourteen  men,  had  been  upset  in  a  gale,  and  every 
soul  lost.  The  lake  was  clear  and  smooth  when  we 
passed  the  melancholy  spot,  and  many  a  rolling  year  has 
defaced  and  cast  down  the  crosses  since  the  unfortunate 


I' 


F 

1': 

1. 

IT 

1 
i  \ 

•  \ 

I 

1 

-, 

238 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


V 


men  whose  snd  fate  they  commemorate,  perished  in  the 
storm. 

Wliile  searching  about  the  shore  one  night  for  wood  to 
make  a  fire,  one  of  our  men  found  a  arge  basket,  made  of 
bark,  and  filled  with  fine  bears'-grease,  which  had  been 
hid  by  some  Indians.  This  was  considered  a  great  wind- 
fall, and  ere  two  days  were  passed,  the  'vhole  of  it  was 
eaten  by  the  men,  who  buttered  their  flour  cakes  with  it 
profusely. 

Not  long  after  this  we  passed  a  large  waterfall,  where 
a  friend  of  mine  was  once  very  nearly  lost.  A  project- 
ing point  obliges  the  traveller  to  run  his  canoe  rather 
near  the  head  of  the  fall,  for  the  purpose  of  landing  to 
make  the  portage.  From  long  habit  the  guides  had  been 
accustomed  to  this,  and  always  effected  the  doubling  of 
the  point  in  safety.  Upon  this  occasion,  however,  either 
from  carelessness  or  accident,  the  canoe  got  into  the  strong 
current,  and  almost  in  an  instant  was  swept  down  towards 
the  fall.  To  turn  the  head  of  the  canoe  up  the  stream, 
and  paddle  for  their  lives,  was  the  work  of  a  moment ; 
but  before  they  got  it  fairly  round,  they  were  on  the  very 
brink  of  the  cataract,  which,  had  they  gone  over  it,  would 
have  dashed  them  to  a  thousand  atoms.  They  paddled 
with  the  strength  of  desperation,  but  so  strong  was  the 
current,  that  they  remained  almost  stationary.  At  last 
they  began  slowly  to  ascend,  an  inch  at  a  time,  and  finally 
reached  the  bank  in  safety. 

On  Sunday,  the  19th  of  October  we  commenced  de- 
scending the  magnificent  river  Ottawa,  and  began  to  feel 
that  we  were  at  last  approaching  the  civilized  nations  of 
the  earth.  During  the  day  we  passed  several  small  log- 
huts,  or  shanties,  which  are  the  temporary  dwelling- 
places  of  men  who  penetrate  thus  far  into  the  forest  for 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


239 


the  purpose  of  cutting  timber.  A  canoe  full  of  tlier^o 
adventurous  pioneers  also  passed  us  ;  and  in  the  evening 
we  reached  Fort  Mattawan,  one  of  the  Company's  sta- 
tions. At  night  we  encamped  along  with  a  party  who 
were  takWig  provisions  to  the  wood-cutters. 

The  scenery  on  the  Ottawa  is  beautiful,  and  as  we 
descended  the  stream  it  was  rendered  more  picturesque 
and  interesting  by  the  appearance,  occasionally,  of  that, 
to  us,  unusual  sight,  a  farm-house.  They  were  too  few 
and  tar  between,  however,  to  permit  of  our  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  inhabitants'  hospitality  ;  and  for  the  nf^xt 
four  d  lys  we  continued  to  make  our  encampments  in  the 
woods  as  heretofore.  At  one  of  these  frontier  farms,  our 
worthy  guide  discovered,  to  his  unutterable  astonishment 
and  delight,  an  old  friend  and  fellow  voyugeury  to  greet 
whom  he  put  ashore.  The  meeting  was  strange:  instead 
of  shaking  hands  warmly,  as  I  had  expected,  they  stood 
for  a  moment  gazing  in  astonishment,  and  then,  with 
perfect  solemnity,  kissed  each  other — not  gently  on  the 
cheek,  but  with  a  good,  hearty  smack  on  their  sunburnt 
lips.  After  conversing  for  a  little,  they  parted  with 
another  kiss. 

On  the  fourth  day  after  this  event,  we  came  in  sight 
of  the  village  of  Aylmer,  which  lay  calmly  on  the  sloping 
banks  of  the  river,  its  church  spire  glittering  in  the  sun, 
and  its  white  houses  reflected  in  the  stream. 

It  is  diflicult  to  express  the  feelings  of  delight  with 
which  I  <:  ized  upon  this  little  village,  after  my  long  ban- 
ishment trom  the  civilized  world.  It  was  like  recover- 
ing from  a  trance  of  four  long  dreamy  years  ;  and  I 
wandered  about  the  streets,  gazing  in  joy  and  admiration 
upon  everything  and  everybody,  but  especially  upon  the 
ladies,  who  appeared  quite  a  strange  race  of  beings  to 


\ 


240 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


:i  ^ 


me,  and  all  of  them  looked  so  beautiful  in  my  eyes  (long 
accustomed  to  Indian  dames),  that  I  fell  in  love  with 
every  one  individually  that  passed  me  in  the  villaj^e.  In 
this  happy  mood,  I  sainitered  about,  utterly  oblivious  of 
the  fact  that  my  men  ha«l  been  left  in  a  public-house,  and 
would  infallibly,  if  not  prevented,  get  dead  drunk.  I 
was  soon  awakened  to  this  startling  probability  by  the 
guide,  who  walked  up  the  road  in  a  very  solemn  I'm-not- 
at-all-drunk  sort  of  a  maimer,  peering  about  on  every 
side,  evidently  in  search  of  me.  Having  found  me,  he 
burst  into  an  expression  of  unbounded  joy,  and  then, 
recollecting  that  this  was  inconsistent  with  his  assumed 
character  of  sobriety,  became  awfully  grave,  and  told  me 
that  we  must  start  soon,  as  the  men  were  all  gutting 
tipsy. 

The  following  day  we  arrived  at  Bytown. 

This  town  is  picturesquely  situated  on  the  brow  of  a 
stupendous  cliff,  which  descends  precipitously  into  the 
Ottawa.  Just  above  the  town  a  handsome  bridge 
stretches  across  the  river,  near  which  the  Kettle  Fall 
thunders  over  a  high  cliff.  We  only  stayed  a  few  min- 
utes here,  and  then  proceeded  on  our  way. 

During  the  day  we  passed  the  locks  of  the  Rideau 
Canal,  which  rise,  to  the  number  of  eight  or  ten,  one 
over  another  like  steps ;  and  immediately  below  them 
appeared  the  Curtain  Falls.  These  falls  are  not  very 
picturesque,  but  their,  great  height  and  curtain-like 
smoothness  render  them  an  interesting  object.  After 
this,  villages  and  detached  houses  became  numerous  all 
the  way  down  the  river  ;  and  late  in  the  evening  of  the 
24th,  we  arrived  at  a  station  belonging  to  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  on  the  Lake  of  the  Two  Mountains, 
where  we  passed  the  remainder  of  the  night. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


241 


Here,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  home,  I  was 
ushered  into  a  civilized  drawing-room  ;  and  when  1  fbiind 
myself  seated  on  a  cushioned  chair,  with  my  moccasini'd 
feet  pressing  a  soft  carpet,  and  several  real,  bond  Jide  la- 
dies (the  wife  and  daughters  of  my  entertainer)  sitting 
before  me,  and  asking  hundreds  of  questions  ahout  my 
long  voyage,  the  strange  species  of  unbelief  in  the  pos- 
sibility of  again  seeing  the  civilized  world,  which  had 
beset  me  for  the  last  three  years,  began  slowly  to  give 
way,  and  at  last  entirely  vanished,  when  my  host  showed 
me  into  a  handsomely  furnished  bedroom,  and  left  Die  for 
the  night. 

The  first  thing  that  struck  me  on  eni  ring  t'.a  bed- 
room was  the  appearance  of  one  of  our  voyageurs,  dressed 
in  a  soiled  blue  capote,  dilapidated  corduroy  trousers,  and 
moccasins;  while  his  deeply  sunburnt  face,  under  a  mass 
of  long  straggling  hair,  stared  at  me  in  astonishment! 
It  will  doubtless  be  supposed  that  I  was  much  horrified 
at  this  apparition.  I  was,  indeed,  much  surprised ;  but 
seeing  that  it  was  my  own  image  reflected  in  a  full-length 
looking-glass,  I  cannot  say  that  I  felt  extremely  horrified. 
This  was  the  first  time  that  I  had  seen  myself — if  I  may 
so  speak — since  leaving  Norway  House ;  and,  truly,  I  • 
had  no  reason  to  feel  prQud  of  my  appearance. 

The  following  morning,  at  four  "'clock,  we  left  the 
Lake  of  the  Two  Mountains;  and  ^•  ihe  afternoon  of 
the  25th  October  1845,  arrived  at  Lachine,  where,  for 
the  time,  my  travels  came  to  a  c1o«g — having  been  jour- 
neying in  the  wilderness  for  sixt}-six  days. 


I. 

ii'.  * 


ii 


The  village  of  Lachine  is  prettily  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  about  nine  miles  above  Mon- 
treal.    The  country  around  it  is  populous  and  pretty, 


A   I 


*        i 


242 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


and  the  view  across  the  river  beautiful.  Just  in  front 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  HoVise — where  I  was  soon  installed 
— is  the  Lachine  Canal,  up  and  down  which  steamers 
and  barges  are  constantly  passing.  Beyond  this  flows 
the  majestic  river  St.  Lawrence,  here  nearly  two  miles 
broad ;  and  on  the  opposite  shore  lies  the  village  of 
Ookanawagan,  inhabited  by  a  tribe  of  Iroquois  Indians. 
Lachine  itself  is  very  small ;  its  only  street,  however,  is 
well  peopled,  and  the  houses  of  which  it  is  composed  are 
scattered  over  a  large  space  of  ground.  The  Hudson's 
Bay  House  is  the  most  imposing  building  about  the 
place,  but  it  does  not  reflect  much  credit  on  its  architect. 
There  are  three  churches  in  the  village, — a  Presbyte- 
rian, Episcopalian,  and  Roman  Catholic  church,  the  latter 
being  most  generally  attended  by  the  inhabitants,  who 
are  chiefly  French  Canadians. 

Soon  after  my  arrival,  winter  set  in,  and  I  became  ac- 
quainted with  a  few  of  the  inhabitants  of  Lachine.  The 
moment  the  snow  fell,  wheeled  carriages  were  superseded 
by  carioles  and  sleighs  of  all  descriptions.  These  beau- 
tiful vehicles  are  mounted  on  runners,  or  large  skates, 
and  slide  very  smoothly  and  easily  over  the  snow,  ex- 
cept when  the  road  is  bad ;  and  then,  owing  to  the  want 
of  springs,  sleighs  become  very  rough  carriages  indeed. 
They  are  usually  drawn  by  one  horse,  the  harness  and 
trappings  of  which  are  profusely  covered  with  small 
round  bells.  These  bells  are  very  necessary  appendages, 
as  little  noise  is  made  by  the  approach  of  a  sleigh  over 
the  soft  snow,  and  they  serve  to  warn  travellers  in  the 
dark.  The  cheerful  tinkling  music  thus  occasioned  on 
the  Canadian  roads  is  very  pleasing.  Sleighs  vary  a 
good  deal  in  structure  and  costliness  of  decoration ;  and 
one  often  meets  a  rough,  cheerful  Canadian  habitant  sit- 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


243 


11  front 
istalled 
earners 
s  flows 
a  miles 
iage  of 
[ndians. 
ever,  is 
)sed  are 
[udson's 
out  the 
rchitect. 
resbyte- 
le  latter 
its,  who 

ame  ae- 
le.    The 
jerseded 
56  beau- 
skates, 
aow,  ex- 
;he  want 
indeed, 
less  and 
th  small 
►endages, 
igh  over 
•s  in  the 
ioned  on 
i  vary  a 
on ;   and 
itant  sit- 


ting in  his  small  box  of  a  sledge  (painted  sometimes  red 
and  soiiietimes  green),  lashing  away  at  his  shaggy  pony, 
in  a  fruitless  attempt  to  keep  up  with  the  large,  graceful 
sleigh  of  a  wealthy  inhabitant  of  Montreal,  who,  wrapped 
up  in  furs,  drives  tandem,  with  two  strong  horses,  and 
loudly  tinkling  bells. 

Reader,  I  had  very  nearly  come  to  the  resolution  of 
giving  you  a  long  account  of  Canada  and  the  Canadians, 
but  I  dare  not  venture  on  it.  I  feel  that  it  would  be 
encroaching  upon  the  ground  of  civilized  authors ;  and 
as  I  do  not  belong  to  this  class,  but  profess  to  write  of 
savage  life — and  nothing  but  savage  life — I  hope  you 
will  extend  to  me  your  kind  forgiveness  if  I  conclude 
this  chapter  rather  abruptly. 

It  is  a  true  saying,  that  the  cup  of  happiness  is  often 
dashed  from  the  lips  that  are  about  to  taste  it.  I  have 
sometimes  proved  this  to  be  the  case.  The  cup  of  hap- 
piness, on  the  present  occasion,  was  the  enjoyment  of 
civilized  and  social  life  ;  and  the  dashing  of  it  away  was 
my  being  sent,  with  very  short  warning,  to  an  out-of-the- 
way  station,  whose  name,  to  me,  was  strange— distance 
uncertain,  but  long — appearance  unknown,  and  geograph- 
ical position  a  most  profound  mystery. 


V}. 


I  •:. 


VUii; 


iii. 


Mil!!!! 


244 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


CHAPTER  XL 

« 

WINTER  TRAVELLING  IN  CANADA— TADOUSAC,  ETC. 

IT  was  on  a  bright  winter's  day  in  the  month  of  Jan- 
uary, 1846,  that  I  was  sent  for  by  the  Governor,  and 
told  to  hold  myself  in  readiness  to  start  early  the  follow- 
ing morning  with  Mr.  Stone  for  Tadousac,  adding,  that 
probably  I  should  spend  the  approaching  summer  at 
Seven  Islands. 

Tadousac,  be  it  known,  is  a  station  about  three  hundred 
miles  below  Montreal,  on  the  mouth  of  the  river  Sague- 
nay,  and  Seven  Islands  is  two  hundred  miles  below 
Tadousac  ;  so  that  the  journey  is  not  a  short  one.  The 
greater  part  of  the  road  runs  through  an  uninhabited 
country,  and  the  travelling  is  bad. 

In  preparation  for  this  journey,  then,  I  employed  my- 
self during  the  remainder  of  the  day  ;  and  before  night 
all  was  ready.  . 

Next  morning  I  found*  that  our  journey  was  postponed 
to  the  following  day,  so  I  went  into  Montreal  to  make 
a  few  purchases,  and  passed  ihe  rest  of  the  day  in  a  state 
of  intense  thought,  endeavoring  to  find  out  if  anything 
had  be  11  forgotten.  Nothing,  however,  recurred  to  my 
memory,  and  going  to  bed  only  half  undressed,  in  order 
to  be  ready  at  a  moment's  notice,  I  soon  fell  into  a  short 
disturbed  slumber,  from  which  the  servant  awakened  me 
long  before  dayliglit,  by  announcing  that  the  sleigh  was  at 
the  door.     In  ten  minutes  I  was  down  stairs,  where  Mr. 


:tc. 


ti  of  Jan- 
jrnor,  and 
he  foUow- 
Iding,  that 
immer  at 


e  hundred 
er  Sague- 
iles  below 
me.  The 
ninhabited 


loyed  my- 
fore  night 

postponed 
1  to  make 
in  a  state 
f  anything 
red  to  my 
1,  in  order 
iito  a  short 
\kened  me 
jigh  was  at 
yhere  Mr. 


o 

H 

o 

G 
> 


It 


,1 


i.t. 


t    i  ' 


[i  '1       i| 


5  .'' 


:.mP. 


m% 


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HUDSON'S  BAY. 


247 


Stone  shortly  afterwards  joined  me ;  and  after  seeing  our 
traps  safely  deposited  in  the  bottom  of  the  sleigh,  we 
jumped  in,  and  slid  noiselessly  over  the  quiet  street  of 
Lachine. 

The  stars  shone  brightly  as  we  glided  over  the  crunch- 
ing snow,  and  the  sleigh-bells  tinkled  merrily  as  our 
horse  sped  over  the  deserted  road.  Groups  of  white 
cottages,  and  solitary  gigantic  trees,  flew  past  us,  looking, 
in  the  uncertain  light,  like  large  snow-drifts ;  save  where 
the  twinkling  of  a  candle,  or  the  first  blue  flames  of  the 
morning  fire,  indicated  that  the  industrious  habitant  had 
risen  to  his  daily  toil.  In  silence  we  glided  on  our  way, 
till  tlie  distant  lights  of  Montreal  awakened  us  from  our 
reveries,  and  we  met  at  intervals  a  solitary  pedestrian,  or 
a  sleigh-load  of  laughing,  fur-encompassed  faces,  return- 
ing from  an  evening  party. 

About  seven  o'clock  we  arrived  at  the  hotel  from 
which  the  stage  was  to  start  for  Quebec, — but  when  did 
stage-coach,  or  sleigh  either,  keep  to  its  time  ?  No  sign 
of  it  was  to  be  seen,  and  it  required  no  small  application 
of  our  knuckles  and  toes  at  the  door  to  make  the  lazy 
waiter  turn  out  to  let  us  in.  No  misery,  save  being  too 
late,  can  equal  that  of  being  too  soon ;  at  least,  so  I 
thought,  while  walking  up  and  down  the  coffee-room  of 
the  hotel,  upon  the  table  of  which  were  scattered  the  re- 
mains of  last  night's  supper,  amid  a  confusion  of  news- 
papers and  fag-ends  of  cigars ;  while  the  sleepy  waiter 
made  unavailing  efforts  to  coax  a  small  spark  of  fire  to 
contribute  gome  warmth  to  one  or  two  damp  billets  of 
wood. 

About  an  hour  after  its  appointed  time,  the  sleigh 
drove  up  to  the  door,  and  we  hastened  to  take  our  places. 
The  stage,  however,  was  full,  but  the  driver  informed  us 


.*.  ^-  _  » 


248 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


r-t.»s»ft<»l*ij»(» 


ni 


that  an  "  extra "  (or  separate  sleigh  of  smaller  dimen- 
sions than  the  stage)  had  been  provided  for  us  ;  so  that 
we  enjoyed  the  enviable  advantage  of  having  it  all  to 
ourselves.  Crack  went  the  whip,  and  off  went  tlu)  leader 
with  a  bound,  the  wheeler  following  at  a  pace  betweer;  a 
trot  and  a  gallop,  and  our  "  extra"  keeping  clo'e  in  the 
rear.  The  lamps  were  still  burning  as  we  left  th:  city,, 
although  the  first  streaks  of  dav.n  illumined  the  eastern 
sky.  In  fifteen  minutes  more  we  had  left  l\Iontreal  far 
behind. 

There  is  something  very  agreeable  m  the  motion  of  a 
sleigh  along  a  good  road.  The  soft  nuiffled  sound  of  the 
runners  gliding  over  the  snow  harmonizes  well  witL  Lhe 
tinkii'ig  bells  ;  and  the  rapid  motion  through  the  frosty 
air,  together  with  (lie  occasional  jolt  of  going  into  a  hol- 
low, or  over  a  I\iIlock,  is  very  exhilarating,  and  we  en- 
joyed our  drive  very  much  for  the  first  liour  or  so.  But, 
alas !  human  happiness  is  seldom  of  long  duration,  as  we 
soon  discovered ;  for,  just  as  I  was  fulling  into  a  comfort- 
able doze,  bang !  went  the  sleigh  into  a  deep  "  cahoe," 
which  most  effectually  wakened  me.  Now  these  same 
"  cahoes  "  are  among  the  disadvantages  attending  sleigh 
travelling  in  Canada.  They  are  nothing  more  or  less 
than  deep  hollows  or  undulations  in  the  road,  into  which 
the  sleighs  unexpectedly  plunge,  thereby  pitching  the 
traveller  roughly  forward  ;  and  upon  the  horses  jerking 
the  vehicles  out  of  them,  throwing  him  backward  in  a 
way  that  is  pretty  sure  to  bring  his  head  into  closer  ac- 
quaintance with  the  back  of  the  sleigh  than  is  quite 
agreeable,  particularly  if  he  be  a  novice  in  sleigh  travel- 
ling. Those  which  we  now  encountered  were  certainly 
the  worst  I  ever  travelled  over,  rising  in  succession  like 
the  waves  of  the  sea,  and  making  our  conveyance  plunge 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


249 


iimen- 

50  that 

all  to 

iveei;  ;i 
in  the 
i':  city., 
easiern 
feal  far 


on  of  fi 

of  the 

viti.  Lhe 

e  frosty 

0  a  hol- 
we  en- 
.  But, 
a,  as  we 
comfort- 
'  cahoe," 
se  same 
g  sleigh 

1  or  less 
to  which 
ling  the 
,  jerking 
ard  in  a 
loser  ac- 

is  quite 
;h  travel- 
certainly 
sion  like 
!e  plunge 


sometimes  so  roughly  that  I  expected  it  to  go  to  pieces. 
Indeed,  I  cannot  understand  how  wood  and  iron  could 
stand  the  crashes  to  which  we  were  exposed.  In  this 
way  we  jolted  along,  sometimes  over  good,  sometimes 
over  bad  roads,  till  about  nine  o'clock,  when  we  stopped 
at  a  neat,  comfortable-looking  inn,  where  the  driver 
changed  his  horses,  and  the  passengers  sat  down  to  a 
hurried  breakfast. 

The  morning  turned  out  beautifully  clear  and  warm, 
at  least  in  comparison  with  what  it  had  been  ;  and  upon 
reentering  the  sleigh  we  all  looked  extremely  happy,  and 
disposed  to  be  pleased  with  everything  and  everybody. 
The  country  through  which  we  now  passed  was  pictu- 
resque and  varied.  Hills  and  valleys,  covered  with  glit- 
tering snow  and  dark  pines,  followed  each  other  in  end- 
less succession ;  while  in  every  valley,  and  from  every 
mountain-top,  we  saw  hundreds  of  hamlets  and  villages, 
whose  little  streets  and  thoroughfares  were  crowded  with 
busy  habitants,  engaged  in  their  various  occupations  and 
winter  traffic. 

The  laughing  voices  of  merry  little  children,  romping 
along  the  roads,  accorded  harmoniously  with  the  lively 
tinkling  of  their  parents'  sleigh-bells  as  they  set  out  for 
the  market  with  the  produce  of  their  farms,  or,  dressed 
in  their  whitest  blanket  capotes  and  smartest  bonnets 
rouge,  accompanied  their  wives  and  daughters  to  a  mar- 
riage or  a  festival.  The  scene  was  rendered  still  more 
pleasing  by  the  extreme  clearness  of  the  frosty  air  and 
the  deep  blue  of  the  sky ;  while  the  weather  was  just 
cold  enough  to  make  the  rapid  motion  of  our  sleighs 
agreeable  and  necessary. 

In  some  places  the  roads  were  extremely  precipitous  ; 
and  when  we  arrived  at  the  foot  of  a  large  hill,  we  used 


m-  ■ ! ! 


ii 


«; 


250 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


>. 


!?l 


* 


generally  to  get  out  and  walk,  preferring  this  to  being 
dragged  slowly  up  by  the  jaded  horses. 

During  the  day  our  sleighs  were  upset  several  times ; 
but  Mr.  Stone  and  I,  in  the  "  extra,"  suffered  more  in 
this  way  than  those  of  the  regular  stage,  as  it  was  much 
narrower,  and,  consequently,  more  liable  to  tip  over. 
Upon  upsetting,  it  unaccountably  happened  that  poor 
Mr.  Stone  was  always  undermost.  But  he  submitted  to 
his  fate  most  stoically  ;  though  from  the  nature  of  things 
my  elbow  invariably  thrust  him  deep  into  the  snow,  on 
which,  after  being  extricated,  a  splendid  profile  impres- 
sion was  left,  to  serve  as  a  warning  to  other  travellers, 
and  to  show  them  that  a  gentleman  had  been  cast  there. 

As  very  little  danger,  however,  attended  these  acci- 
dents, they  only  afforded  subject  for  mirth  at  the  time, 
and  conversation  at  the  end  of  the  stage — except  once, 
when  the  sleigh  turned  over  so  rapidly,  that  I  was  thrown 
with  considerable  force  against  the  roof,  which,  being  of 
a  kind  of  slight  framework,  covered  with  painted  canvas, 
offered  but  small  opposition  to  my  flight ;  my  head,  con- 
sequently, went  quite  through  it,  and  my  unfortunate 
nose  was  divested  to  rather  an  alarming  extent  of  its 
cutaneous  covering.  With  this  exception,  we  proceeded 
safely  and  merrily  along,  and  about  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening  arrived  at  the  small  town  of  Three  Rivers. 

Early  next  morning  we  resumed  our  journey,  and 
about  four  in  the  afternoon  arrived  at  the  faraous  city 
of  Quebec,  without  having  encountered  any  very  inter- 
esting adventures  by  the  way. 

The  first  sight  we  had  of  Quebec  was  certainly  any- 
thing but  prepossessing.  A  receni  fire  in  the  lower  town 
had  completely  destroyed  a  large  portion  of  it ;  and  the 
first  street  I  passed  through  was  nothing  but  a  gaunt 


-,...r 


,^fK.  _.>•. 


'^''4^llt^&^jH,«.v 


s  to  being 

;ral  times; 
;cl  more  in 

was  much 

tip  over. 

that  poor 
ibmitted  to 
e  of  things 
5  snow,  on 
lie  impres- 

travellers, 
ast  there, 
these  acci- 

the  time, 
cept  once, 
vas  thrown 
I,  being  of 
ed  canvas, 
head,  con- 
nfortunate 

ent  of  its 

proceeded 

)ck  in  the 
Jers. 

rney,  and 
lous  city 

kry  inter- 

fnly  any- 
irer  town 

land  the 
a  gaunt 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


251 


row  of  blackened  chimneys  and  skeleton  houses,  which 
had  a  very  melancholy  ghostlike  appearance,  when  con- 
trasted with  the  white  snow.  As  we  advanced,  however, 
to  where  the  fire  had  been  checked,  the  streets  assumed 
a  more  agreeable  aspect — shops  were  open  here  and 
there,  and  workmen  busily  employed  in  repairing  dam- 
aged houses,  and  pulling  down  dangerous  ones.  Upon 
arriving  at  the  steep  street  which  leads  from  the  lower 
town  to  witl  .11  the  walls,  the  immense  strength  of  the 
ramparts  and  fortifications  struck  me  forcibly.  The  road 
up  which  we  passed  to  the  gate  was  very  narrow ;  on 
one  side  a  steep  hill  descended  to  the  lower  town ;  and 
on  the  other  towered  the  city  walls,  pierced  all  over  with 
loop-holes,  and  bristling  with  cannon.  At  the  head  of 
the  road,  in  an  angle  of  the  wall,  two  silent  but  grim- 
looking  guns  pointed  their  muzzles  directly  down  the 
road,  so  as  to  command  it  from  one  end  to  the  other. 
All  the  other  parts  of  the  walls  that  I  happened  to  see 
were  even  more  strongly  fortified  than  this. 

The  streets  of  Quebec  are  very  steep,  much  more  so 
than  those  of  Edinburgh ;  and  it  is  no  small  exertion  to 
mount  one  or  two  without  stopping  to  breathe  at  the 
top.  Upon  the  whole,  it  is  anything  but  a  pretty  town, 
(at  least  in  winter) — the  houses  being  high,  and  the 
streets  very  narrow.  The  buildings,  too,  are  common- 
place, and.  the  monument  to  Wolfe  and  Montcalm  is  a 
very  insignificant  affair.  In  fact,  Quebec  can  boast  of 
little  else  than  the  magnificent  views'  it  commands  from 
the  ramparts,  and  the  impregnable  strength  of  its  for- 
tifications. Some  of  the  suburban  villas^  however,  are 
very  beautiful ;  and  although  I  saw  them  in  winter,  yet 
T  could  form  some  idea  of  the  enchanting  places  they  must 
be  in  summer. 


^--Wfcliijfcil*.  ■  - 


4/ 


Sii;H' 


252 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


After  spending  t)ireo  pleasant  days  here,  we  got  into 
our  sleigh  again,  and  resumed  our  journey. 

No  stages  ran  below  Quebec,  so  that  we  now  travelled 
in  the  sleigh  of  a  fanner,  who  happened  to  be  going 
down  part  of  the  way. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  eity,  we  passed  quite  close  to 
the  famous  Falls  of  Montniorenc^i.  They  arc  as  high,  if 
not  higher  than  those  of  Niagara,  but  I  thought  them 
rather  tame,  being  nothing  but  a  broad  curtain  of  water 
falling  over  an  even  cliff,  and  quite  devoid  of  picturesque 
scenery.  A  curious  cone  of  ice,  formed  by  the  spray, 
rose  nearly  l».alf-way  up  the  falls. 

The  scenery  below  Quebec  is  much  more  rugged  and 
mountainous  than  that  above ;  and,  as  we  advanced,  the 
marks  of  civilization  began  gradually  to  disappear — vil- 
lages became  scarcer,  and  roads  worse,  till  at  last  we 
came  to  the  shanties  of  the  wood-cutters,  with  here  and 
there  a  solitary  farm-house.  Still,  however,  we  occa- 
sionally met  a  few  sleighs,  with  the  conductors  of  which 
our  driver  seemed  to  be  intimately  ac([uainted.  These 
little  interruptions  broke,  in  a  great  degree,  the  monotony 
of  the  journey  ;  and  we  always  felt  happier  for  an  hour 
after  having  passed  and  exchanged  with  a  Canadian  a 
cheerful  bonjour. 

Our  driver  ha[)pened  to  be  a  very  agreeable  man,  and 
more  intelligent  than  most  Canadians  of  his  class  ;  more- 
over, he  had  a  good  voice,  and  when  we  came  to  a  level 
part  of  the  road,  I  requested  him  to  sing  me  a  song, 
which  he  did  at  once — singing  with  a  clear,  strong, 
manly  voice,  the  most  beautiful  French  air  I  ever  heard  ; 
both  the  name  and  air,  however  I  have  now  forgotten. 
He  then  asked  mo  to  sing,  which  I  did  without  further 
ceremony,  treating  him  to  one  of  the  ancient  melodies  of 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


253 


Scotland ;  and  thus,  ith  solos  and  duets,  we  beguiled 
the  tedium  of  the  road,  and  filled  the  woods  with  melody ! 
much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  unmusical  American  feath-" 
ered  tribes,  and  to  the  edification  of  our  horse,  who 
pricked  up  his  ears,  and  often  glanced  backwards,  ap- 
parently in  extreme  surprise. 

Towards  evening,  the  driver  told  us  that  we  should 
soon  ai^ivo  at  Bale  de  St.  Paul,  and  in  half  an  hour  more 
our  weary  horse  dragged  us  slowly  to  the  top  of  a  hill 
whence  we  had  a  splendid  view  of  the  village.  In  all  the 
miles  of  country  I  had  i)assed  over,  I  had  seen  nothing  to 
equal  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  Vale  of  Bale  de  St 
Paul.  From  the  hill  on  which  we  stood,  the  whole 
valley,  of  many  miles  in  extent,  was  visible.  It  was  per- 
fectly level,  and  covered  from  end  to  end  with  thousands 
of  little  hamlets  and  several  churches,  with  here  and  there 
a  few  small  patches  of  forest.  The  course  of  a  little 
rivulet,  which  meanders  through  it  in  summer,  was  ap- 
parent, even  though  covered  with  snow.  At  the  mouth 
of  this,  several  schooners  and  small  vessels  lay  imbedded 
in  ice ;  beyond  which  rolled  the  dark,  ice-laden  waves  of 
the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  The  whole  valley  teemed 
with  human  life.  Hundreds  of  Canadians,  in  their  grace- 
ful sleighs  and  carioles,  flew  over  the  numerous  roads 
intersecting  the  country  ;  and  the  faint  sound  of  tinkling 
bells  floated  gently  up  the  mountain  side,  till  it  reached 
the  elevated  position  on  which  we  stood.  The  whole 
scene  was  exquisitely  calm  and  peaceful,  forming  a  strange 
and  striking  contrast  to  the  country  round  iL  Like  the 
Happy  Valley  of  Rasselas,  it  was  surrouruled  by  the  most 
wild  and  rugged  mountains,  which  rose  in  endless  succes- 
sion, one  behind  another,  stretching  away  in  the  distance 
till  they  resembled  a  faint  blue  wave  on  the  horizon.    In 


I    ' 


254 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


r 


» 


III' 


}*  f 


m  I  k ' 


t  ! 
I'' 


this  beautiful  place  we  spent  the  night,  ami  !  <  tc» lowing 
at  Mai  Baie.  This  village  was  also  pretty,  but  after  i^aie 
de  St.  Paul  I  could  but  little  admire  it. 

Next  night  we  slept  in  a  shanty  belonging  to  the  tim- 
ber-cutters on  the  coast  of  the  gulf,  which  was  truly  the 
most  wretched  abode,  except  an  Indian  tent,  I  ever  had 
the  chance  (or  mischance)  to  sleep  in.  It  was  a  small 
log-hut,  with  only  one  room  ;  a  low  door — to  enter  which 
we  had  to  stoop — and  a  solitary  square  window,  filled 
with  parchment  in  lieu  of  glass.  The  furniture  was  of 
the  coarsest  description,  and  certainly  not  too  abundant. 
Everything  was  extremely  dirty,  and  the  close  air  was 
further  adulterated  with  thick  clouds  of  tobacco  smoke, 
which  curled  from  the  pipes  of  half  a  dozen  wood-chop- 
pers. Such  was  the  place  in  which  we  passed  the  night ; 
and  glad  was  I  when  the  first  blush  of  d.iy  summoned 
us  to  resume  our  travels.  We  now  entered  our  sleigh 
for  the  last  time,  and  after  a  short  drive  arrived  at  the 
termination  of  the  horse  road.  Here  we  got  out,  and 
rested  a  short  time  in  a  shanty,  preparatory  to  taking  to 
our  snow-shoes. 

The  road  now  lay  through  the  primeval  forest,  and 
fortunately  it  proved  to  be  pretty  well  beaten,  so  we 
walked  lightly  along,  with  our  snow-shoes  under  our 
arms.  In  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  another  shanty, 
having  walked  about  eighteen  miles.  Here  we  found  a 
gentleman  who  superintended  the  operai  ons  of  the 
lumberers,  or  wood-cutters.  He  kindly  offered  to  drive 
us  to  Canard  River,  a  place  not  far  distant  from  the  ter- 
mination of  our  journey.  I  need  scarcely  say  we  gladly 
accepted  his  offer,  and  in  a  short  time  arrived  at  the  river 
Saguenay. 

This  river,  owing  to  its  immense  depth,  never  freezes 


-V  -i 


,♦  iia 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


2!i5 


le  river 


over  at  its  mouth  ;  so  we  crossed  it  in  ii  boat,  and  on  the 
evening  of  the  7th  of  February  we  arrived  at  the  post  of 
Tadousac. 

This  establishment  belongs  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany, and  is  situated  at  the  bottom  of  a  large  and  deep 
bay  adjoining  the  mouth  of  the  river  Saguenay.  Unlike 
the  posts  of  the  north,  it  is  merely  a  group  of  houses, 
scattered  about  in  a  hollow  of  the  mountains,  without  any 
attempt  at  arrangement,  and  without  a  stockade.  The 
post,  when  viewed  from  one  of  the  hills  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, is  rather  picturesque  ;  it  is  seen  imbedded  in  the 
mountains,  and  its  white-topped  houses  contrast  prettily 
with  the  few  pines  around  it.  A  little  to  the  right  rolls 
the  deep,  unfathomable  Saguenay,  at  the  base  of  precipi- 
tous rocks  and  abrupt  mountains,  covered  in  some  places 
with  stunted  pines,  but  for  the  most  part  bald-fronted. 
Up  the  river,  tlie  view  is  interrupted  by  a  large  rock, 
nearly  round,  which  juts  out  into  the  stream,  and  is 
named  the  "  Bull."  To  the  right  lies  the  Bay  of  St. 
Catherine,  with  a  new  settlement  at  its  head ;  and  above 
this  flows  the  majestic  St.  Lawrence,  compared  to  which 
the  broad  Saguenay  is  but  a  thread. 

Tadousac  Bay  is  one  of  the  finest  natural  harbors  in 
the  St.  Lawrence.  Being  very  deep  quite  close  to  the 
shore,  it  is  much  frequented  by  vessels  and  craft  of  every 
description  and  dimension.  Ships,  schooners,  barks, 
brigs,  and  batteaux,  lie  calmly  at  anchor  within  a  stone's- 
throw  of  the  bushes  on  shore ;  others  are  seen  beating 
about  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  attempting  to  enter ; 
while  numerous  pilot  boats  'sail  up  and  down,  almost 
under  the  windows  of  the  house ;  and  in  the  offing  are 
hundreds  of  vessels,  whose  white  sails  glimmer  on  the 

horizon:  like  the  wings  of  sea-gulls,  as  they  beat  up  for 

.^  ',■  «"■■ 


'  n 


tsmi 


11. 

w 


Hi 


\ti 


'H 


tfi 


l^ 


Ml 


i«il 


256 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


anchorage,  or  proceed  on  their  course  for  England  or  v^te- 
bec.  The  magnificent  panorama  is  closed  by  the  distant 
hills  of  the  opposite  shore,  blending  with  the  azure  sky. 
This,  however,  is  the  only  view,  the  land  being  a  mono- 
tonous repetition  of  bare  granite  hills  and  stunted  pines.* 

Here,  then,  for  a  time,  my  travels  came  to  a  close, 
and  I  set  about  making  myself  as  comfortable  in  my  new 
quarters  as  circumstances  would  permit. 

Tadousac  I  found  to  be  similar,  in  many  respects,  to 
the  forts  in  the  north.  The  country  around  was  wild, 
mountainous,  and  inhabited  only  by  a  few  Indians  and 
wild  animals.  There  was  no  society,  excepting  that  of 
Mr.  Stone's  family ;  the  only  other  civilized  being,  above 
the  rank  of  a  laborer,  being  a  gentleman  who  superin- 
tended a  timber-cutting  and  log-sawing  establishment,  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  Company's  post. 

My  bourgeois  Mr.  Stone  was  a  very  kind  man,  and  an 
entertaining  companion.  He  had  left  Scotland,  his  native 
land,  when  very  young ;  and  had  ever  since  been  travel- 
ling about  and  dwelling  in  the  wild  woods  of  America. 
A  deep  scar  on  ihe  bridge  of  his  nose  showed  that  he 
had  not  passed  through  these  savage  countries  scathless. 
The  way  in  which  he  came  by  this  scar  was  curious ;  so 
I  may  relate  it  here. 

At  one  of  the  solitary  forts  in  the  wild  regions  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  where  my  friend  Mr. 
Stone  dwelt,  the  Indians  wero  in  the  habit  of  selling 
horses — of  which  they  had  a  great  many — to  the  servants 

*  It  may  be  well  to  mention,  that  the  above  description  applies  to 
the  country  only  in  the  summer  and  aixtumn  months  of  the  year. 
During  winter,  the  navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence  is  completely 
stopped  by  ice,  and  Tadousac  then  appears  as  represented  in  the  en- 
graving. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


257 


!  servants 


of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  They  had,  however,  an 
uncommonly  disagreeable  propensity  to  steal  these  horses 
again,  the  moment  a  convenient  opportunity  presented 
itself;  and  to  guard  against  the  gratification  of  this 
propensity  was  one  of  the  many  difficulties  that  the  fur 
traders  had  to  encounter.  Upon  one  occasion,  a  fine 
horse  was  sold  by  an  Indian  to  Mr.  Stone ;  the  price 
(probably  several  yards  of  cloth  and  a  few  pounds  of 
tobacco)  paid,  and  the  Indian  went  away.  Not  long 
after,  the  horse  was  stolen ;  but  as  this  was  an  event  that 
often  happened,  it  was  soon  forgotten.  Winter  passed 
away  ;  spring  thawed  the  lakes  and  rivers  ;  and  soon  a 
party  of  Indians  arrived,  with  furs  and  horses  to  trade. 
They  were  of  the  Blackfoot  tribe,  and  a  wilder  set  of 
fellows  one  would  hardly  wish  to  see.  Being  much  in 
the  habit  of  fighting  with  the  neighboring  tribes,  they 
were  quite  prepared  for  battle,  and  decorated  with  many 
of  th3  trophies  of  war.  Scalp-locks  hung  from  the  skirts 
of  their  leather  shirts  and  leggins.  Eagles'  feathers 
and  beads  ornamented  their  heads  ;  and  their  faces  were 
painted  with  stripes  of  black  and  red  paint. 

After  conversing  with  them  a  short  time,  they  were 
admitted  through  the  wicket  one  by  one,  and  their  arms 
taken  from  them  and  locked  up.  This  precaution  was 
rendered  necessary  at  these  posts,  as  the,'  Indians  used  to 
buy  spirit£,  and  often  quarrelled  with  each  other ;  but, 
having  no  i^rms,  of  course  they  could  do  themselves  httle 
damage.  When  about  a  dozen  of  them  had  entered,  the 
gate  was  shut,  and  Mr.  Stone  proceeded  to  trade  their 
furs,  and  examine  their  horses,  when  he  beheld,  to  his 
surprise,  the  horse  that  had  been  stolen  from  him  the 
summer  before ;  and  upon  asking  to  whom  it  belonged, 
the  same  Indian  who  had  formerly  sold  it  to  him  stood 

17 


258 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


;'^ 


fcf  ', 


m 


i*   X  ' 


\llr'-]l 


forward  and  said  it  was  his.  Mr.  Stone  (an  exceedingly 
quiet,  good-natured  man,  but,  like  many  men  of  this 
stamp,  very  passionate  when  roused)  no  sooner  witnessed 
the  fellow's  audacity,  than  he  seized  a  gun  from  one  of 
his  men,  and  shot  the  horse.  The  Indian  instantly 
sprang  upon  hira ;  but,  being  a  less  powerful  man  than 
Mr.  Stone,  and,  withal,  unaccustomed  to  use  his  fists,  he 
was  soon  overcome,  and  pommelled  out  of  the  fort.  Not 
content  with  this,  Mr.  Stone  followed  him  down  to  the 
Indian  camp,  pommelling  him  all  the  way.  The  instant, 
however,  that  the  Indian  found  himself  surrounded  by 
his  own  friends,  he  faced  about,  and  with  a  dozen  war- 
riors attacked  Mr.  Stone  and  threw  him  on  the  ground, 
where  they  kicked  and  bruised  him  severely ;  whilst 
several  boys  of  the  tribe  hovered  around  him  with  bows 
and  arrows,  waiting  a  favorable  opportunity  to  shoot  him. 
Suddenly  a  savage  came  forward  with  a  large  stone  in 
his  hand,  and,  standing  over  his  fallen  enemy,  raised  it 
high  in  the  air  and  dashed  it  down  upon  his  face.  My 
friend,  when  telling  me  the  story,  said  that  he  had  just 
time,  upon  seeing  the  stone  in  the  act  of  falling,  to  com- 
mend his  spirit  to  God  ere  he  was  rendered  insensible. 
The  merciful  God,  to  whom  he  thus  looked  for  help  at 
the  eleventh  hour,  did  not  desert  him.  Several  men 
belonging  to  the  fort,  seeing  the  turn  things  took,  hastily 
armed  themselves,  and  hurrying  out  to  the  rescue,  ar- 
rived just  at  the  critical  moment  when  the  stone  was 
dashed  in  his  face.  Though  too  late  to  prevent  this,  they 
were  in  time  to  prevent  a  repetition  of  the  blow ;  and, 
after  a  short  scuffle  with  the  Indians,  without  any  blood- 
shed, they  succeeded  in  carrying  their  master  up  to  the 
fort,  where  he  soon  recovered.  The  deep  cut  made  by 
the*  stone  on  the  bridge  of  his  nose  left  an  indelible  scar. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


259 


Besides  Mr.  Stone,  I  had  another  companion,  namely, 
Mr.  Jordan,  a  clerk,  who  inhabited  the  same  office  with 
me,  and  slept  in  the  same  bedroom,  during  the  whole 
winter.  He  was  a  fine-looking,  athletic  half-breed,  who 
had  been  partially  educated,  but  had  spent  much  more  of 
his  life  among  Indians  than  among  civilized  men.  He 
used  to  be  sent  about  the  country  to  trade  with  the 
natives,  and,  consequently,  led  a  much  more  active  life 
than  I  did.  One  part  of  his  business,  during  the  early 
months  of  spring,  was  hunting  seals.  This  was  an  amus- 
ing, though,  withal,  rather  a  murderous  kind  of  sport. 
The  manner  of  it  was  this : — 

My  friend  Jordan  chose  a  fine  day  for  his  excursion ; 
and,  embarking  in  a  boat  with  six  or  seven  men,  sailed  a, 
few  miles  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  till  he  came  to  a  low 
flat  point.  In  a  small  bay  near  this  he  drew  up  the  boat. . 
and  then  went  into  the  woods  with  his  party,  where  each 
man  cut  a  large  pole  or  club.  Arming  themselves  with 
these,  they  waited  until  the  tide  receded,  and  left  the 
point  dry.  In  a  short  time,  one  or  two  seals  crawled  out 
of  the  sea  to  bask  upon  the  shore ;  soon  several  more 
appeared  ;  and,  ere  long,  a  band  of  more  than  a  hundred 
lay  sunning  themselves  upon  the  beach.  The  ambuscade 
now  prepared  to  attack  the  enemy.  Creeping  stealthily 
down  as  near  as  was  possible  without  being  discovered, 
they  simultaneously  rushed  upon  the  astonished  animals ; 
and  the  tragic  scene  of  slaughter,  mingled  with  melo- 
dramatic and  comic  inciderit  ■  that  ensued,  baffles  all  de- 
scription. In  one  place  m?ght  be  seen  my  friend  Jordan 
sv/inging  a  huge  club  round  with  his  powerful  arms,  and 
dealing  death  and  destruction  at  every  blow ;  while  in 
another  place,  a  poor  weazened-looking  Scotchman  (who 
had  formerly  been  a  tailor !   and  to  whom  the  work  was 


260 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


P4> 


i  ,  I 


fe'i- 


\4l 


t[ 


new)  advanced,  with  cautious  trepidation,  towards  a  huge 
seal,  which^  spluttered  and  splashed  fearfully  in  its  en- 
deavors to  reach  the  sea,  and  dealt  it  a  blow  on  the  back. 
He  might  as  well  have  hit  a  rock.  The  slight  rap  had 
only  the  effect  of  making  the  animal  show  its  teeth,  at 
which  sight  the  tailor  retreated  precipitately,  and,  strik- 
ing his  heel  against  a  rock,  fell  backwards  into  a  pool  of 
water,  where  he  rolled  over  and  over,  impressed,  appar- 
ently, with  the  idea  that  he  was  attacked  by  all  the  seals 
in  the  sea.  His  next  essay,  however,  was  more  success- 
ful, and  in  a  few  minutes  he  killed  several,  having  learned 
to  hit  on  the  head  instead  of  on  the  back.  In  less  than 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  they  killed  between  twenty  and 
thirty  seals,  which  were  stowed  in  the  boat,  and  conveyed 
to  the  post. 

Nothing  worth  mentioning  took  place  at  Tadousac 
during  my  residence  there.  The  winter  became  severe 
and  stormy,  confining  us  much  to  the  house,  and  obliging 
us  to  lead  very  humdrum  sort  of  lives.  Indeed,  the  only 
thing  that  I  can  recollect  as  being  at  all  interesting  or 
amusing,  was  my  becoming,  on  one  occasion,  a  disciple  of 
^sculapius.  The  Indians  who  were  living  near  the  post 
at  the  time  had  been  very  unhealthy ;  and  one  afternoon 
an  old  sickly-looking  fellow  came  to  me,  and  said  that  he 
was  not  at  all  well,  and  wanted  medicine.  Upon  hear- 
ing this,  I  questioned  him  very  closely  regarding  the 
nature  of  his  complaint;  and,  after  much  consideration, 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  had  consumption,  or  some- 
thing of  that  sort.  Being  ignprant  of  the  precise  treat- 
ment necessary  for  this  disease,  I  struck  out  a  new  line 
of  treatment  of  my  own ;  so,  going  to  the  medicine-chest, 
I  took  out  a  strengthening  plaster,  and  clapped  it  on 
his  back  ;  and  then,  by  way  of  counteracting  its  effects. 


\\ 


HUDSON'S  LAY. 


261 


placed  a  blister  on  his  chest,  and,  thus  doctored,  seflt  him 
away,  with  a  recommendation  not  to  go  about  much  for 
a  few  days !  In  a  short  time  he  became  much  better ; 
but  whether  from  the  effects  of  my  treatment,  or  other 
causes,  I  will  not  take  upon  myself  to  say. 

This  last  essay  of  mine  must  have  fdghtened  the  good 
people  with  whom  I  lived,  and  induced  them  to  petition 
for  my  being  sent  away  ;  or  perhaps  Dame  Fortune  took 
a  special  pleasure  in  knocking  me  about  the  world ;  but 
certain  it  is,  that  very  shortly  after  the  medical  transac- 
tion mentioned  in  the  foregoing  paragraph,  I  received 
orders  again  to  prepare  for  a  journey  ;  and,  as  on  many 
a  former  occasion,  the  time  given  me  for  preparation  was 
not  long. 


I!' 


i,\'  ■  "■■  / 


m^ 


262 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


W-.t 

T 

ir'.l 


w 


ib  ■ 


i  n 


CI 


Hi 


mi 


m\ 


)  t« 


Ml 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

A  JOURNEY  ON  SNOW-SHOES— SEVEN  ISLANDS,  ETC. 

IT  was  Oil  a  cold,  bleak  morning,  about  the  beginning  of 
March,  1846,  that  I  awoke  from  a  comfortable  snooze 
in  my  bedroom  at  Tadousac,  and  recollected  that  in  a 
few  hours  I  must  take  leave  of  my  present  quarters,  and 
travel,  on  snow-shoes,  sixty  miles  down  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence  to  the  post  of  Isle  Jeremie. 

The  wind  howled  mournfully  through  the  leafless  trees, 
and  a  few  flakes  of  snow  fell  upon  the  window,  as  I 
looked  cut  upon  the  cheerless  prospect.  Winter-r— cold, 
biting,  frosty  winter — still  reigned  around.  The  shores 
of  Tadousac  Bay  were  still  covered  with  the  same  coat 
of  ice  that  had  bound  them  up  four  months  before  ;  and 
the  broad  St.  Lawrence  still  flowed  on  black  as  ink,  and 
laden  with  immense  fields  and  hummocks  of  dirty  ice, 
brought  down  from  the  banks  of  the  river  above.  The 
land  presented  one  uniform  chilling  prospect  of  bare 
trees  and  deep  snow,  over  which  I  was  soon  to  traverse 
many  a  weary  mile. 

There  is  nothing,  however,  like  taking  things  philo- 
sophically ;  so,  after  venting  my  spite  at  the  weather  in 
-one  or  tw  >  shoj"  grumbles,  I  sat  down  in  a  passable  state 
of  equanimity  to  breakf;  :t.  During  the  meal,  I  dis- 
cussed with  Mr.  Stone  the  prospects  of  the  impending 
journey,  and  indulged  in  a  few  excursive  remarks  upon 
snow-shoe  travelling ;  whilst  he  related  a  few  incidents 
of  his  own  eventful  career  in  the  country.      , 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


263 


111 


On  one  occasion,  he  was  sent  off  upon  a  long  journey  • 
over  the  snow,  where  the  country  was  so  mountainous 
that  snow-shoe  walking  was  rendered  exceedingly  pain- 
ful, by  the  feet  slipping  forward  against  the  front  bar  of 
the  shoe  when  descending  the  hills.  After  he  had  ac- 
complished a  good  part  of  his  journey,  two  large  blisters 
rose  under  the  nails  of  his  great  toes ;  and  soon  the 
nails  themselves  came  off.  Still,  he  must  go  on,  or  die  in 
the  woods  ;  so  he  was  obliged  to  tie  the  nails  on  his  toes 
each  morning  before  starting,  for  the  purpose  of  protect- 
ing the  tender  parts  beneath ;  and  every  evening  he 
wrapped  them  up  carefully  in  a  piece  of  rag,  and  put 
them  into  his  waistcoat  pocket — being  afraid  of  losing 
them  if  he  kept  them  on  all  night. 

After  breakfast,  I  took  leave  of  my  friends  at  Tadou- 
sac ;  and,  with  a  pair  of  snow-shoes  under  my  arm,  fol- 
lowed my  companion  Jordan  to  the  boat  which  was  to 
convey  me  the  first  twenty  miles  of  the  journey,  and  then 
land  me,  with  one  man  who  was  to  be  my  only  coiupan- 
ion.  In  the  boat  was  seated  a  Roman  Catliolic  [wriest, 
on  his  way  to  visit  a  party  of  Indians  a  short  distance 
down  the  gulf.  The  shivering  men  shipped  their  oars  in 
silence ;  and  we  glided  tlirough  the  black  water^  while 
•the  ice  grated  harshly  against  the  boat's  sides,  as  we 
rounded  Point  Rouge ; — another  pull,  and  Tadousac  was 
hidden  from  our  view. 

Few  things  can  be  more  comfortless  or  depressing  tlian 
a  sail  down  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lnwrence  on  a  gloomy  win- 
ter's day,  with  the  thermometer  at  zero!  The  water 
looks  so  black  and  cold,  and  the  sky  so  gray  that  it  makes 
one  shudder,  and  turn  to  look  upon  the  land.  But  there 
no  cheericg  prospect  meets  the  view.  Rocks — cold, 
hard,  misanthropic  rocks — grin  from  beneath  volumes  of 


2G4 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


^V:!' 


H^^;;i 


'  V 


snow ;  and  the  few  stunted,  black-looking  pines  that  dot 
the  banks  here  and  there  only  tend  to  render  the  scene 
more  desolate.  No  birds  fly  about  to  enliven  the  travel- 
ler ;  and  the  only  sound  that  meets  the  ear,  besides  the 
low  sighing  of  the  cold,  cold  wind,  is  the  crashing  of  im- 
mense fields  of  ice,  as  they  meet  and  war  in  the  eddies 
of  opposing  currents.  Fortunately,  however,  there  was 
no  ice  near  the  shore,  and  we  met  with  little  interrup- 
tion on  the  way.  Tlie  priest  bore  the  cold  like  a  stoic; 
and  my  friend  Jordan,  being  made,  metaphorically  speak- 
ing, of  iron,  treated  it  with  the  contemptuous  indifference 
that  might  be  expected  from  such  metal. 

In  the  evening  we  arrived  at  Esquimain  River,  where 
we  took  up  our  quarters  in  a  small  log-hut  belonging  to  a 
poor  seal-fisher,  whose  family,  and  a  few  men  who  at- 
tended a  saw-mill  a  short  distance  off,  were  the  only  in- 
habitants of  this  little  hamlet.  Here  we  remained  all 
night,  and  prepared  our  snow-shoes  for  the  morrow,  as 
the  boat  was  there  to  leave  us  and  return  to  Tadousac. 
The  night  was  calm  and  frosty,  and  everything  gave 
promise  of  fine  weather  for  our  journey.  But  who  can 
tell  what  an  hour  will  bring  forth  ?  Before  morning, 
the  weather  became  milder,  and  soon  it  began  to  thaw. 
A  fine  warm  day,  with  a  bright  sun,  be  it  known,  is  one 
of  the  most  dreadful  calamities  that  can  befall  a  snow- 
shoe  traveller,  as  the  snow  then  becomes  soft  and  sticky, 
thereby  drenching  the  feet  pud  snow-shoes,  which  be- 
come painfully  heavy  from  the  quantity  of  snow  which 
sticks  to,  and  falls  upon  them.  In  cold,  frosty  weather 
the  snow  is  dry,  crisp,  and  fine,  so  that  it  falls  through 
the  network  of  the  snow-shoe  without  leaving  a  feather's 
weight  behind,  while  the  feet  are  diy  and  wiuiu  \  Inil  a 
thaw ! — Oh !  it  is  useless  attempting  to  recapitulate  the 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


265 


miseries  attending  a  thaw ;  my  next  Aay's  experience 
will  show  what  it  is. 

Early  on  the  following  morning,  I  jumped  from  my 
bed  on  the  floor  ofc  the  hut,  and  proceeded  to  equip  my- 
self for  the  march.  The  apartment  in  which  I  had 
passed  the  night  presented  a  curious  appearance.  It 
measured  about  sixteen  feet  by  twelve,  and  the  greater 
part  of  this  space  was  occupied  by  two  beds,  on  which 
lay,  in  every  imaginable  position,  the  different  members 
of  the  half-breed  family  to  whom  the  mansion  belonged. 
In  the  centre  of  the  room  stood  a  coarsoly-constructed 
deal  table,  on  which  lay  in  confusion  the  remains  of  the 
preceding  night's  supper.  On  the  right  of  this,  a  large, 
gaudily-painted  Yankee  clock  graced  the  wall,  and  stated 
down  upon  the  sleeping  figures  of  the  men.  This,  with 
a  few  rough  wooden  chairs  and  a  small  cupboard,  com- 
prised all  the  furniture  of  the  house. 

I  soon  singled  out  my  man  from  among  the  sleeping 
figures  on  the  floor,  and  bade  him  equip  himself  for  the 
road — or  rather  for  the  march,  for  road  we  had  none. 
In  half  an  hour  we  were  ready ;  and  having  fortified 
ourselves  with  a  cup  of  w^eak  tea  and  a  slice  of  bread, 
left  the  house  and  commenced  our  journey. 

My  man  Bezeau  (a  French  Canadian)  was  dressed  in 
a  blue  striped  cotton  shirt,  of  very  coarse  quality,  and  a 
pair  of  corduroys,  strapped  round  his  waist  with  a  scar- 
let belt.  Over  these  he  wore  a  pair  of  blue  cloth  leg- 
gins,  neatly  bound  with  orange-colored  ribbon.  A  Glen- 
garry bonnet  covered  his  head ;  and  two  pairs  of  flannel 
socks,  under  a  pair  of  raw  seal-skin  shoes,  protected  his 
feet  from  the  cold.  His  burden  consisted  of  my  oarpet- 
bag,  two  days'  provisions,  antl  a  blue  doth  capote,  which 
latter  he  carried  over  his  shoulder,  the  weather  being 


^  ■ 


lis 


iillSfi 


i 


W":.' 


2C6 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


f 


warm.  My  dress  consisted  of  a  searlot  flannel  sliirt,  and 
a  pair  of  etoffe  du  paijs  trousers,  wliicli  were  fastened 
round  m  waist  by  a  leathern  belt,  from  wliicli  dei>ended 
a  small  iiuuting-knife ;  a  foraging  oa[»,  and  deer-skin  moc- 
casins, completed  my  costume.  IMy  burdcii  was  a  large 
green  blanket,  a  greatcoat,  and  a  tin  teakettle.  Our 
only  arms  of  offence  or  defence  were  the  little  hunting- 
knife  before  mentioned,  and  a  small  axe  for  fe^'-ng  trees, 
should  we  wish  to  make  a  fire.  "We  brought  i  •  guns,  as 
there  Avas  little  prospect  of  meeting  any  gai.  3  on  the 
road ;  and  it  behooves  one,  when  travelling  on  foot,  to 
carry  as  little  as  possible. 

Thus  we  started  from  Esquimain  River.  The  best 
joke,  however,  of  all  was,  that  neither  I  nor  my  man 
had  ever  travelled  that  way  before !  All  we  knew  was, 
that  we  had  to  walk  fifty  miles  through  an  uninhabited 
country ;  and  that  then  we  should,  or  at  least  ought  to, 
reach  Isle  Jeremie.  There  were  two  solitary  houses, 
however,  that  we  had  to  pass  on  the  way ;  the  one  an 
ovi1|)o;,t  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  the  other  a  saw- 
mill belonging  to  one  of  the  lumber  companies  (or  tim- 
\}('V  traders)  in  Quebec.  In  fact,  the  best  idea  of  our 
situation  may  be  had  from  the  following  lines,  which  may 
be  supposed  to  have  been  uttered  by  the  establishment 
to  which  Ave  were  bound : — 

"  Througli  the  woods,  through  :  lie  woods,  follow  and  find  me, 
Search  every  hollow  and  dingle  and  doll;  " 
To  the  right,  left,  or  front,  you  may  pass,  or  hehind  me, 
Unless  you  arc  ^'.ireful  and  look  for  me  well. 

The  first  part  of  our  road  lay  along  the  shores  of  the 
St.  Lawrence. 

The  sun  shone  brightly,  and  the  drifting  ice  in  the  gulf 
glittered  in  its  rays  as  it  flowed  slowly  out  to  sea ;    but 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


2G7 


shirt,  and 
J  fastened 
depended 
-skin  moc- 
13  a  large 
tie.  Our 
3  Imntlng- 
i^'ng  trees, 
I  guns,  as 
.3  on  the 
on  foot,  to 

The  best 
V  my  man 
knew  was, 
ininhabited 

ought  to, 
ry  liouses, 
he  one  an 
her  a  saw- 
s  (or  tim- 
idea  of  our 
which  may 
;ablishment 

.  find  me, 
1  me, 

ores  of  the 

in  the  gulf 
;o  sea ;   but 


ere  long  the  warm  rays  acted  upon  the  snow,  and  ren- 
dered walking  toilsome  and  fatiguing.  After  about  an 
hour's  walk  along  the  shore,  we  arrived  at  the  last  hut 
we  were  likely  to  see  that  day.  It  was  inhabited  by  an 
Indian  and  his  family.  Here  we  rested  a  few  minutes, 
and  I  renewed  my  snow-shoe  lines,  the  old  ones  having 
broken  by  the  way. 

Shortly  after  this,  we  passed  the  wreck  of  what  had 
once  been  a  line  ship.  Sho  Sy  crushed  and  dismasted 
among  the  rocks  and  hn  ice  which  lined  the  deso- 

late shoro,  her  decks  ui.  of  her  nmsts  drifted 

over   with   snow.      Six  iths   before,  she   had 

bounded  over  the  Atlantic  wav'  in  all  the  panoply  of 
sail  and  rigging  pertaining  to  a  large  three-master,  in- 
closing in  her  sturdy  hull  full  many  a  daring  heart  beat- 
ing high  with  sanguine  hopes,  and  dreaming  of  fame  and 
glory,  or  perchance  of  home.  But  now,  how  great  the 
change !  her  sails  and  masts  uprooted,  and  her  helm — 
the  seaman's  confidence  and  safeguard— gone ;  her  bed 
upon  the  rocks  and  pebbles  df  a  dreary  shore  :  and  her 
shattered  hull  hung  round  with  icicles,  and  wrapped  in  the 
cold  embraces  of  the  wintry  ocean.  Few  things,  I  think, 
can  have  a  more  inexpressibly  melancholy  appearance 
than  a  wreck  upon  a  rucky  and  deserted  she  re  in  winter. 

The  road  now  began  to  get  extremely  bad.  The  ice, 
over  which  we  had  to  walk  for  miles,  had  been  covered 
with  about  six  inches  of  water  and  snow.  A  sharp  frost 
during  the  night  had  covered  this  with  a  cake  of  ice 
sufficiently  strong  to  bear  us  up  until  we  got  fairly  upon  it 
and  were  preparing  to  take  another  step,  when  down  it 
went ;  so  that  we  had  a  sort  of  natural  tread-mill  to  exer- 
cise ourselves  upon  all  day,  while  every  time  we  sank,  as 
a  matter  of  course,  our  snow-shoes  were  covered  with  a 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14S80 

(716)  872-4503 


268 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


!.!! 


L- 


i 


I  '•  111 


mixture  of  water,  snow,  and  broken  ice,  to  extricate  our 
feet  from  which  almost  pulled  our  legs  out  of  the  sockets. 

In  this  way  we  plodded  slowly  and  painfully  along,  till 
we  came  to  a  part  of  the  shore  where  the  ice  had  been 
entirely  carried  off,  leaving  the  sandy  beach  uncovered 
for  about  two  miles.  We  gladly  took  advantage  of  this, 
and  pulling  off  our  snow-shoes,  walked  along  among  the 
shells  and  tangle  of  the  sea-shore.  At  this  agreeable 
part  of  our  journey,  while  we  walked  lightly  along,  with 
our  snow-shoes  under  our  arms,  I  fell  into  a  reverie  upon 
the  superior  advantages  of  travelling  in  cold  weather, 
and  the  delights  of  walking  on  sandy  beaches  in  contrast 
with  wet  snow.  These  cogitations,  however,  were  sud- 
denly interrupted  by  our  arrival  at  the  place  where  the 
ice  had  parted  from  the  general  mass ;  so,  with  a  deep 
sigh,  we  resumed  our  snow-shoes.  My  feet,  from  the 
friction  of  the  lines,  now  began  to  feel  very  painful ;  so, 
having  walked  about  ten  miles,  I  proposed  taking  a  rest.* 
To  this  my  man,  who  seemed  rather  tired,  gladly  ac- 
ceded, and  we  proceeded  t©  light  a  fire  under  the  stem  of 
a  fallen  tree  which  opportu^'^ly  presented  itself. 

Here  we  sat  down  comfortably  together;  and  while 
our  wet  shoes  and  socks  dried  before  the  blazing  fire,  and 
our  chafed  toes  wriggled  joyously  at  being  relieved  from 
the  painful  harness  of  the  snow-shoes,  we  swallowed  a 
cup  of  congou  with  a  degree  of  luxurious  enjoyment, 
appreciable  only  by  those  who  have  walked  themselves 
into  a  state  of  great  exhaustion  after  a  hurried  breakfast. 

Greatly  refreshed  by  the  tea,  we  resumed  our  journey 
in  better  spirits,  and  even  affected  to  believe  we  were 
taking  an  agreeable  afternoon  walk  for  the  first  mile  or 
so.  We  soon,  however,  fell  to  zero  again,  as  we  gazed 
wistfully  upon  the  long  line  of  coast,  stretching  away  to 


iW' 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


269 


while 
ire,  and 
jd  froin 
owed  a 
)yment, 
nselves 

akfast. 

oumey 
were 

mile  or 
gazed 

way  to 


the  horizon.  But  there  was  no  help  for  it ;  on  we 
splashed,  sometimes  through  ice,  water,  and  snow,  and 
sometimes  across  the  shingly  heach,  till  the  day  was  far 
spent,  when  I  became  so  exhausted,  that  I  could  scarcely 
drag  one  foot  after  the  other,  and  moved  along  almost 
r^'^chanically.  My  man,  too,  strong  as  he  was,  exhibited 
symptoms  of  fatigue ;  though,  to  do  him  justice,  he  was 
at  least  seven  times  more  heavily  laden  than  I. 
.  While  we  jogged  slowly  along  in  this  enviable  condi- 
tion, a  lump  of  ice  offered  so  tempting  a  seat,  that  we 
simultaneously  proposed  to  sit  down.  This  was  very 
foolish.  Besting  without  a  fire  is  bad  at  all  times ;  and 
the  exhausted  condition  we  were  then  in  made  it  far 
worse,  as  I  soon  found  to  my  cost.  Tired  as  I  was  be- 
fore, I  could  have  walked  a  good  deal  further,  but  no 
sooner  did  I  rise  again  to  my  feet,  than  an  inexpressible 
weakness  overcame  me,  and  I  felt  that  I  could  go  no 
further.  This  my  man  soon  perceived,  and  proposed 
making  a  fire  and  having  a  cup  of  tea,  and  then,  if  I  felt 
better,  we  might  proceed.  This  I  agreed  to  ;  so,  enter- 
ing the  woods,  we  dug  a  hole  in  the  snow,  and  in  half  an 
hour  had  a  fire  blazing  in  it,  that  would  have  roasted  an 
ox !  In  a  short  time  a  panful  of  snow  was  converted  into 
hot  tea ;  and  as  I  sat  sipping  this,  and  watching  the  white 
smoke  as  it  wreathed  upwards  from  the  pipe  of  my  good- 
natured  guide,  I  never  felt  rest  more  delightful. 

The  tea  refreshed  us  so  much,  that  we  resumed  our 
journey,  intending,  if  possible,  to  reach  Port  Neuf  during 
the  night ;  and  as  we  calculated  that  we  had  walked  be- 
tween fifteen  and  eighteen  miles,  we  hoped  to  reach  it  in 
a  few  hours. 

Away,  then,  we  went,  and  plodded  on  till  dark  with- 
out reaching  the  post ;  nevertheless,  being  determined  to 


270 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


M      I  I 


'f; 


%t 


travel  as  long  as  we  could,  we  pushed  on  t^ll  near  mid- 
night, when,  being  quite  done  up,  and  seeing  no  sign  of  the 
establishment,  we  called  a  council  of  war,  and  sat  down  on 
a  lump  of  ice  to  discuss  our  difficulties.  I  suggested,  that 
if  we  had  not  already  passed  the  post,  in  all  probability 
we  should  do  so,  if  we  continued  to  travel  any  further  in 
the  dark.  My  companion  admitted  that  he  entertained 
precisely  the  same  views  on  the  subject ;  and,  further- 
more, that  as  we  both  seemed  pretty  tired,  and  there 
happened  to  be  a  nice  little  clump  of  willows,  intermixed 
with  pine  trees,  close  at  hand,  his  opinion  was,  that  noth- 
ing better  could  be  dore  than  encamping  for  the  night. 
I  agreed  to  this — and  the  resolution  being  carried  unani- 
mously, the  council  adjourned,  and  we  proceeded  to  make 
our  encampment. 

First  of  all,  the  snow  was  dug  away  from  the  foot  of  a 
large  pine  with  our  snow-shoes,  which  we  used  as  spades ; 
and  when  a  space  of  about  ten  feet  long,  by  six  broad, 
was  cleared,  we  covered  it  with  pine  branches  at  one 
end,  and  made  a  roaring  fire  against  the  tree  at  the  other. 
The  snow  rose  all  around  to  the  height  of  about  four  feet, 
so  that  when  our  fire  blazed  cheerily,  and  our  supper  was 
spread  out  before  it  upon  my  green  blanket,  we  looked 
very  comfortable  indeed,  and  it  was  of  much  more 
consequence,  felt  so.  Supper  l  u^isted  of  a  cup  of  tea, 
a  loaf  of  bread,  and  a  lump  of  salt  butter.  After  hav- 
ing partaken  largely  of  these  delicacies,  we  thrcAV  a  fresh 
log  upon  the  fire,  and  rolling  ourselves  in  our  blankets, 
were  soon  buried  in  repose. 

Next  morning,  on  awaking,  the  first  thing  I  became 
aware  of  was  the  fact,  that  it  was  raining,  and  heavily 
too,  in  the  shape  of  a  Scotch  mist.     I  coiiPscatfl 

it"'*  -    1"' 

lieve  it,  and  rubbed  my  eyes  to  make  sure,  oilt  t\ 


*~ 


;ar  mid- 
;n  of  the 
down  on 
ted,  that 
obability 
irther  in 
tertained 
,  further- 
,nd  there 
ttennixed 
:hat  noth- 
the  night, 
led  unani- 
ato  make  ^ 
u 

e  foot  of  a 
as  spades ; 
six  broad, 
les  at  one 
the  other. 
t  four  feet, 
iupper  was 
we  looked 
auch  more 
cup  of  tea, 
After  hav- 
•ew  a  fresh 
r  blankets, 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


271 


no  mistake  about  it  at  all.  The  sky  was  gray,  cold,  and 
dismal,  and  the  blanket  quite  wet !  "  "Well,"  thought  I, 
as  I  fell  back  in  a  sort  of  mute  despair,  "  this  is  certainly 
precious  weather  for  snow-shoe  travelling  !  "  I  nudged 
my  sleeping  companion,  and  the  look  of  melancholy  res- 
ignation which  he  put  on,  as  he  became  gradually  aware 
of  the  state  of  matters,  convinced  me,  that  bad  as  yester- 
day had  been,  to-day  would  be  far  worse. 

When  I  got  upon  my  legs,  I  found  that  every  joint  in 
my  body  was  stiflfer  than  the  rustiest  hinge  ever  heard 
of  in  the  annals  of  doors!  and  my  feet  as  tender  as  a 
chicken's,  with  huge  blisters  all  over  them.  Bezeau, 
however,  though  a  little  stiff,  was  otherwise  quite  well, 
being  well  inured  to  hardships  of  every  description. 

It  is  needless  to  recount  the  miseries  of  the  five  miles' 
walk  that  we  had  to  make  before  arriving  at  Port  Neuf, 
over  ground  that  was  literally  next  to  impassable.  About 
nine  o'clock  we  reached  the  house,  and  remained  there 
for  the  rest  of  the  day.  Here,  for  three  days,  we  were 
hospitably  entertained  by  the  Canadian  family  inhabiting 
the  place  3  during  this  time  it  rained  and  thawed  so 
heavily,  that  we  could  not  venture  to  resume  our  journey. 

On  the  16th,  the  weather  became  colder,  and  Bezeau 
announced  his  opinion  that  we  might  venture  to  proceed. 
Glad  to  be  once  more  on  the  move — ^for  fears  of  being 
arrested  altogether,  by  the  setting  in  of  spring,  had  be- 
gun to  beset  me — I  once  more  put  on  my  snow-shoes ; 
and,  bidding  adieu  to  the  hospitable  inmates  of  Port 
Neuf,  we  again  wended  our  weary  way  along  the  coast. 
Alas!  our  misfortunes  had  ijot  yet  ceased.  The  snow 
was  much  softer  than  we,  anticipated,  and  the  blisters  on 
my  feet,  which  had  nearly  healed  during  the  time  we 
stayed  at  Port  Neuf,  were  now  torn  open  afresh.   After  a 


m. 


272 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


M  I 


painful  and  laborious  walk  of  eight  or  nine  miles,  we 
arrived  at  a  small  house,  where  a  few  enterprising  men 
lived,  who  had  penetrated  thus  far  down  the  gulf  to  erect 
a  saw-mill. 

Here  we  found,  to  our  infinite  joy,  a  small  flat-bottomed 
boat,  capable  of  carrying  two  or  three  men  ;  so,  without 
delay,  we  launched  it,  and  putting  our  snow-shoes  and 
provisions  into  it,  my  man  and  I  jumped  in,  an^  pulled 
away  down  the  gulf,  intending  to  finish  the  twenty  miles 
that  still  remained  of  our  journey  by  water.  We  were 
obliged  to  pull  a  long  way  out  to  sea,  to  avoid  the  ice 
which  lined  the  shores,  and  our  course  lay  a  good  deal 
among  drifting  masses. 

Half  an  hour  after  we  embarked,  a  snow-storm  came 
on,  but  still  we  pulled  along,  preferring  anything  to  re- 
suming the  snow-shoes. 

After  a  few  hours*  rowing,  we  rested  on  our  oars,  and 
refreshed  ourselves  with  a  slice  of  bread  and  a  glass  of 
rum,  which  latter,  having  forgotten  to  bring  water  with 
us,  we  were  obliged  to  drink  pure.  We  Certainly  cut  a 
strange  figure,  while  thus  lunching  in  our  little  boat — sur- 
rounded by  ice,  and  looking  hazy  through  the  thickly  fall- 
ing snow,  which  prevented  us  from  seeing  very  far  ahead, 
and  made  the  mountains  on  shore  look  quite  spectral. 

For  about  five  miles  we  pulled  along  in  a  straight  line, 
after  which  the  ice  trended  outwards,,  and  finally  brought 
us  to  a  stand-still,  by  running  straight  out  to  sea.  This 
was  an  interruption  we  were  not  at  all  prepared  for,  and 
we  felt  rather  undecided  how  to  proceed.  After  a  little 
confabulation,  we  determined  to  pull  out,  and  see  if  the 
ice  did  not  again  turn  in  the  proper  direction  ;  but  after 
pulling  straight  out  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  we  perceived, 
or  imagined  we  perceived,  to  our  horror,  that  the  ice. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


273 


iles,  we 
ing  men 
'  to  erect 

3ottomed 
,  without 
hoes  and 
1?  pulled 
nty  miles 
We  were 
id  the  ice 
rood  deal 

)rm  came 
ing  tore-  V 

•  oars,  and 
a  glass  of 
irater  with 
unly  cut  a 
boat — sur- 
bickly  fall- 
far  ahead, 
jectral. 
raight  line, 
ly  brought 
sea.    This 
•ed  for,  and 
fter  a  little 
see  if  the 
L ;  but  after 
5  perceived, 
lat  the  ice. 


instead  of  being  stationary,  as  we  supposed  it  to  be,  was 
floating  slowly  out  to  sf.a  with  the  wind,  and  carrying  us 
along  with  it.  No  time  vras  to  be  lost ;  so,  wheeling 
about,  we  rowed  with  all  our  strength  for  the  shore  ;  and 
after  a  pretty  stiflf  pull  gained  the  solid  ice.  Here  we 
hauled  the  flat  up  out  of  the  water  with  great  difficulty, 
and  once  more  put  on  our  snow-shoes. 

Our  road  still  lay  along  shore,  and,  as  the  weather  was 
getting  colder,  we  proceeded  along  much  more  easily  than 
heretofore.  In  an  hour  or  two  the  snow  ceased  to  fall, 
and  sho\(^ed  us  that  the  ice  was  not  drifting,  but  that  it 
ran  so  far  out  to  sea,  that  it  would  have  proved  a  bar  to 
our  further  progress  by  water  at  any  rate. 

The  last  ten  miles  of  our  journey  now  lay  before  us  j 
and  we  sat  down,  before  starting,  to  have  another  bite  of 
bread  and  a  pull  at  the  rum  bottle ;  after  which,  we 
trudged  along  in  silence.  The  peculiar  compression  of 
my  guide's  lips,  and  the  length  of  step  that  he  now 
adopted,  showed  me  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
get  through  the  last  part  of  the  journey  without  stopping; 
so,  tightening  my  belt,  and  bending  my  head  forward, 
I  plodded  on,  solacing  myself  as  we  advanced,  by  hum- 
ming, "  Follow,  follow,  over  mountain, — ^follow,  follow, 
over  sea  !"&c. 

About  four  or  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  upon 
rounding  a  point,  we  were  a  little  excited  by  perceiving 
evident  signs  of  the  axe  having  been  at  work  in  the  for- 
\est, — and  a  little  further  on  discovered,  to  our  inexpres- 
sible joy,  a  small  piece  of  ground  inclosed  as  a  garden. 
This  led  us  to  suppose  that  the  post  could  not  be  far  off, 
so  we  pushed  forward  rapidly ;  and  upon  gaining  the 
summit  of  a  small  eminence,  beheld,  with  delight,  the 
post  of  Isle  Jeremie. 

18 


274 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


l  :l: ': 


>;  '  I 


I    I 


This  establishment,  like  most  of  the  others  on  the  St. 
Lawrertce,  is  merely  a  collection  of  scattered  buildings, 
most  of  which  are  storehouses  and  stables.  It  stands  in 
a  hollow  of  the  mountains,  and  close  to  a  large  bay, 
where  sundry  small  boats  and  a  sloop  lay  quietly  at  an- 
chor. Upon  a  little  hillock  close  to  the  principal  house, 
is  a  Roman  Catholic  chapel ;  and  behind  it,  stretches 
away  the  broad  St.  Lawrence,  the  south  shore  of  which 
is  indistinctly  seen  on  the  horizon.  We  had  not  much 
inclination,  however,  to  admire  the  scenery  just  then  ;  so, 
hastening  down  the  hill,  my  man  rushed  into  the  men's 
house,  where  in  five  minutes  he  was  busily  engaged 
eating  bread  and  pork,  and  recounting  his  adventures  to 
a  circle  of  admiring  friends ;  while  I  warmed  myself 
beside  a  comfortable  fire  in  the  hall,  and  chatted  with  the 
gentleman  in  charge  of  the  establishiuent. 

At  Isle  Jeremie  I  remained  about  six  weeks ;  or 
rather,  I  should  say,  belonged  to  the  establishment  for 
that  time ;  as,  during  a  great  part  of  it,  I  was  absent 
from  the  post.  Mr.  Coral,  soon  after  my  arrival,  went 
to  visit  the  Company's  posts  lower  down  the  St.  Law- 
rence, leaving  me  in  charge  of  Isle  Jeremie;  and  as  I 
had  little  or  nothing  to  do  in  the  way  of  business  (our 
Indians  not  having  arrived  from  the  interior),  most  of 
my  time  was  spent  in  reading  and  shooting. 

It  was  here  I  took  my  first  lessons  in  navigation — I 
mean  in  a  practical  way  ;  as  for  the  scientific  part  of  the 
business,  that  was  deferred  to  a  more  favorable  oppor- 
tunity— and,  truly,  the  lessons  ^vere  rather  rough.  The 
way  of  it  was  this :  Our  flour  at  Isle  Jeremie  had  run 
out.  Indians  were  arriving  every  day  calling  loudly  for 
flour,  and  more  were  expected ;  so  Mr.  Coral  told  me, 
one  fine  morning,  to  get  ready  to  go  to  Tadousac  in  the 


VI 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


275 


boat,  for  a  load  of  flour.  This  I  prepared  to  do  at  once, 
and  started  after  breakfast  in  a  large  boat,  manned  hj 
two  men.  The  wind  was  fair,  and  I  fired  a  couple  of 
shots  with  my  fowling-piece,  as  we  cleared  the  harbor,  in 
answer  to  an  eo;dal  number  of  salutes  from  two  iron  can- 
nons that  stood  in  front  of  the  house.  By-the-by,  one  of 
these  guns  had  a  melancholy  interest  attached  to  it  a 
few  months  after  this.  While  firing  a  salute  of  fourteen 
rounds  in  honor  of  the  arrival  of  a  Roman  Catholic 
bishop,  one  of  them  exploded  while  the  man  who  acted 
as  gunner  was  employed  in  ramming  home  the  cartridge, 
and  blew  him  about  twenty  yards  down  the  bank.  The 
unfortunate  man  expired  in  a  few  hours.  Poor  fellow  ! 
he  was  a  fine  little  Canadian,  and  had  sailed  with  me,, 
not  many  weeks  before,  in  a  voyage  up  the  St.  Law- 
rence. But  to  return.  Our  voyage,  during  the  first  few 
days,  was  prosperous  enough,  and  I  amused  myself  in- 
shooting  the  gulls  which  were  foolish  enough  to  come  within 
range  of  my  gun,  and  in  recognizing  the  various  places 
along  shore  where  I  had  rested  and  slept  on  the  memo- 
rable occasion  of  my  snow-shoe  trip.  * 

But  when  did  the  St.  Lawrence  prove  friendly  for  an 
entire  voyage  ?  Certainly  not  when  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  ploughing  its  rascally  waters !  The  remainder  of  our 
voyage  was  a  succession  of  squalls,  caln^  .  contrary  winds, 
sticking  on  shoals  for  hours,  and  being  det  vined  on  shore, 
with  an  accompaniment  of  pitching,  tossing,  oscillation 
and  botheration,  that  bafiles  all  description.  However, 
time  brings  the  greatest  miseries  to  an  end ;  and,  in  the 
process  of  time,  we  arrived  at  Tadousac — loaded  our 
boat  deeply  with  flour — shook  hands  with  our  friends — 
related  our  adventures — bade  them  adieu — and  again 
found  ourselves  scudding  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  with  a 
snoring  breeze  on  our  quarter. 


.' 


276 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


1 '         ,1 


I  ti 


i 


!   / 


Now  this  was  truly  a  most  delectable  state  of  things, 
when  contrasted  with  our  wretched  trip  up ;  so  we  wrap- 
ped our  blankets  round  us,  (for  it  was  very  cold,)  and 
felicitated  ourselves  considerably  on  such  good  fortune. 
It  was  rather  premature,  however,  as,  not  long  after,  Ave 
had  a  vrry  narrow  escape  from  being  swamped.  The 
wind,  as  I  said  before,  was  pretty  strong,  and  it  con- 
tinued so  the  whole  way  ;  so  that  on  the  evening  of  the 
second  day  we  came  within  sight  of  Isle  Jeremie,  while 
running  before  a  stiff  breeze,  through  the  green  waves 
which  were  covered  with  foam.  Our  boat  had  a  "  droop- 
ing nose,"  and  was  extremely  partial  to  what  the  men 
termed  "  drinking ; "  in  other  words,  it  shipped  a  good 
deal  of  water  over  the  bows.  Now  it  happened,  that 
while  we  were  straining  our  eyes  ahead,  to  catch  a,  sight 
of  our  haven,  an  insidious  squall  was  creeping  fast  down 
behind  us.  The  first  intimation  we  had  of  its  presence 
was  a  loud  and  ominous  hiss,  which  made  us  turn  our 
heads  round  rather  smartly ;  but  it  was  too  late — for 
with  a  howl,  that  appeared  to  be  quite  vicious,  the  wind 
burst  upon  our  sails,  and  buried  the  boat  m  the  water, 
which  rushed  in  a  cataract  over  the  bows,  and  nearly 
filled  us  in  a  moment,  although  the  steersman  threw  her 
into  the  wind  immediately.  The  sheets  were  instantly 
let  go,  and  one  of  the  men  who  happened  to  be  a  sailor 
jumped  up,  and,  seizing  an  axe,  began  to  cut  down  the 
mainmast,  at  the  same  time  exclaiming  to  the  steersman, 
'"  You've  done  for  us,  now,  Cooper ! "  He  was  mistaken, 
however,  for  the  sails  were  taken  in  just  in  time  to  save 
us  ;  and,  while  the  boat  lay  tumbling  in  the  sea,  we  all 
began  to  bale,  with  anything  we  could  lay  hands  on,  as 
fast  as  we  could.  In  a  few  minutes  the  boat  was  ligh- 
tened enough  to  allow  of  our  hoisting  the  foresail ;  and 


HUDSON'S  DAY. 


277 


things, 

0  wrap- 
Id,)  and 
fortune, 
ifter,  we 
il.  The 
,  it  con- 
g  of  the 
ie,  while 
n  waves 
"  droop- 
the  men 

1  a  good 
tied,  that 
ih  a,  sight  \ 
'ast  down 
presence 
turn  our   . 
late — ^for 
the  wind 
he  water, 
id  nearly 
hrew  her  ' 

instantly 
^  a  sailor 
down  the 
iteersman, 
mistaken, 
ae  to  save 
ea,  we  all 
[ids  on,  as 
was  ligh- 
esail;  and 


ahout  half  an  hour  afterwards  we  were  safely  anchored 
in  the  harbor. 

This  happened  within  about  three  or  four  hundred 
yards  of  the  shore  ;  yet  the  best  swimmer  in  the  world 
would  have  been  drowned  ere  he  reached  it,  as  the  water 
was  so  bitterly  cold,  that  when  I  was  baling  for  my  life, 
and,  consequently,  in  pretty  violent  exercise,  my  hands 
became  quite  benumbed  and  almost  powerless. 

Shortly  after  this,  I  was  again  sent  up  to  Tadousac,  in 
charge  of  a  small  batteau,  of  about  ten  or  fifteen  tons, 
with  a  number  of  shipwrecked  seamen  on  board.  Tliese 
unfortunate  men  had  been  cast  on  shore  about  the  com- 
mencement of  winter,  on  an  uninhabited  part  of  the 
coast,  and  had  remained  without  provisions  or  fire  for  a 
long^  time,  till  they  were  discovered  by  a  gentleman  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  conveyed  over  the 
snow  in  sleighs  to  the  nearest  establisliment,  which  hap- 
pened to  be  Isle  Jeremie.  Here  they  remained  all  win- 
ter, in  a  most  dreadfully  mutilated  condition,  some  of 
them  having  been  desperately  frozen.  One  of  the  poor 
fellows,  a  negro,  had  one  of  his  feet  frozen  off  at  the 
ankle,  and  had  lost  all  the  toes  and  the  heel  of  the  other, 
the  bone  being  laid  bare  for  about  an  inch  and  a  half. 
Mr.  Coral,  the  gentleman  who  had  saved  them,  did  all 
in  his  power  to  relieve  their  distress — amputating  their 
frozen  limbs,  and  dressing  their  wounds,  while  they  were 
provided  with  food  and  warm  clothing.  I  am  sorry  to 
say,  howevevj  that  these  men,  who  would  have  perished 
\had  it  not  been  for  Mr.  Coral's  care  of  them,  were  the 
first,  upon  arriving  at  Quebec  the  following  spring,  tO' 
open  their  mouths  in  violent  reproach  and  bitter  in- 
vective against  him ;  forgetting  that,  while  their  only 
charge  against  him  was  a  little  severity  in  refusing  themi 


lil 


'>•    i 


278 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


','i. 


i'i 


« 


I.M: 


'VS>' 


JIM, 


m'  ;'i' 


iii^ 


H^l^' 


J   I 


a  few  trifling  and  unnecessary  luxuries,  ho  had  saved 
them  from  a  painful  and  lingering  death. 

In  a  couple  of  days  we  arrived  at  Tadousac,  the  second 
time,  to  the  no  small  astonishment  of  my  brother  scrib- 
bler residing  there.  After  reloading  our  craft,  we  directed 
our  course  once  more  down  the  gulf. 

This  time  the  wind  was  also  favorable,  but,  unfortu- 
nately, a  little  too  strong ;  so  we  were  obliged,  in  the 
evening,  to  come  to  an  anchor  in  Esquimain  River.  This 
river  has  good  anchorage  close  to  the  bank,  but  is  very 
deep  in  the  lead,  or  current ;  this,  however,  we  did  not 
know  at  the  time ;  and  seeing  a  small  schooner  close  to 
shore,  we  rounded  to  a  few  fathoms  outside  of  her,  and 
let  go  our  anchor.  "Whirr  !  went  the  chain — ten !  twelve  I 
sixteen !  till  at  last  forty  fathoms  ran  out,  and  only  a 
little  bit  remained  on  board,  and  still  we  had  no  bot- 
tom. After  attaching  our  spare  cable  to  the  other  one, 
the  anchor  at  last  grounded.  This,  however,  was  a  dan- 
gerous situation  to  remain  in,  as,  if  the  wind  blew  strong, 
we  would  have  to  run  out  to  sea,  and  so  much  cable 
would  take  a  long  time  to  get  in  ;  so  I  ordered  my  two 
men,  in  a  very  pompous,  despotic  way,  to  heave  up  the 
anchor  again;  but  not  a  bit  would  it  budge.  We  all 
heaved  at  the  windlass,  still  the  obstinate  anchor  held 
fast — again  we  gave  another  heave,  and  smashed  both 
the  handspikes. 

In  this  dilemma,  I  begged  assistance  from  the  neigh- 
"boring  schooner,  and  they  kindly  sent  all  their  men  on 
board  with  new  handspikes ;  but  our  refractory  anchor 
would  not  let  go,  and  at  last  it  was  conjectured  that  it 
had  got  foul  of  a  rock,  and  that  it  was  not  in  the  power 
of  mortal  man  to  move  it.  Under  these  pleasant  cir- 
•cumstances,  we  went  to  bed,  in  hopes  that  the  falling 


HUDSOiN'S  BAY. 


279 


I  saved 

!  second 
r  serib- 
directed 

unfortu- 
,  in  the 
r.   This 
is  very 
did  not 
close  to 
her,  and 
twelve ! 
[  only  a 
no  bot- 
her one, 
3  a  dan- 
V  strong, 
th  cable 
my  two 
up  the 
We  all 
or  held 
led  both 

J  neigh- 
men  on 
anchor 
that  it 
B  power 
ant  cir- 
falling 


tide  might  swing  us  clear  before  morning.  This  turned 
out  just  as  wo  exi.ected— or,  rather,  a  little  better — for 
next  morning,  when  I  went  on  deck,  I  found  that  wo 
were  drifting  quietly  d(  wn  tli*;  ^ulf,  stern  foremost,  all 
the  sails  snugly  tied  up,  and  the  long  cable  drugging  at 
the  bows  I  Towards  evening  we  arrived  at  Jeremie  ;  and 
I  gladly  resigned  command  of  the  vessel  to  my  first 
lieutenant. 

One  afternoon,  near  the  middle  of  April,  I  sat  sun- 
ning myself  in  the  verandah,  before  tho  door  of  the 
principal  house  at  Isle  Jeremie ;  and  watched  the  fields 
of  ice,  as  they  floated  down  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence, 
occasionally  disappearing  behind  the  body  of  a  large  pig, 
which  stood  upon  a  hillock  close  in  front  of  me,  and 
then  reappearing  again  as  the  current  swept  them  slowly 
past  the  intervening  obstacle. 

Mr.  Coral,  with  whom  I  had  been  leading  a  very 
quiet,  harmless  sort  of  life  for  a  couple  of  weeks  past, 
leant  against  a  wooden  post,  gazuig  wistfully  out  to  sea. 
Suddenly  he  turned  towards  me,  and  with  great  gravity 
told  me  that  as  there  was  nothing  particular  for  me  to 
do  at  the  establishment,  he  meant  to  send  me  down  to 
Seven  Islands,  to  relieve  the  gentleman  at  that  post  of 
his  charge ;  adding,  that  as  he  wished  rae  to  set  off  the 
following  morning  at  an  early  hour,  I  had  better  pack 
up  a  few  things  to-night. 

Now,  this  order  may  not  seem,  at  the  first  glance,  a 
very  dreadful  one ;  but  taking  into  consideration  that 
Seven  Islands  is  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  below 
the  post  at  which  I  then  resided,  it  did  appear  as  if  one 
would  wish  to  think  about  it  a  little  before  starting.  Not 
having  time  to  think  about  it,  however,  I  merely,  in  a 
sort  of  bantering  desperation,  signified  my  readiness  to 


U!; 


280 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


undertake  a  voyage  to  any  part  of  the  undiscovered 
world,  at  any  moment  he  (Mr.  Coral)  might  think  proper, 
and  then  vanished,  to  prepare  myself  for  the  voyage. 

It  was  optional  with  me  whether  I  should  walk 
through  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  of  primeval  and 
most  impassable  forest,  or  paddle  over  an  equal  number 
of  miles  of  water.  Preferring  the  latter,  as  being  at 
6nce  the  less  disagreeable  and  more  expeditious  method, 
I  accordingly,  on  the  following  morning,  embarked  in  a 
small  Indian  canoe,  similar  to  the  one  in  which  I  had 
formerly  travelled  with  two  Indians,  in  the  Northwest. 
My  companions  were,  a  Canadian,  who  acted  q,s  steers- 
man— a  genuine  Patlander,  who  ostensibly  acted  as  bows- 
man,  but  in  reality  was  more  useful  in  the  way  of  ballast 
— and  a  young  Newfoundland  dog,  which  I  had  got  as  a 
present  from  Mr.  Stone,  while  at  Tadousac. 

When  we  were  all  in  our  allotted  places,  the  canoe 
was  quite  full ;  and  we  started  from  Isle  Jeremie  in  good 
spirits,  with  the  broad,  sunlike  face  of  Mike  Lynch  loom- 
ing over  the  bows  of  the  canoe,  and  the  black  muzzle  of 
Humbug  (the  dog)  resting  on  its  gunwale. 

It  is  needless  to  describe  the  voyage  minutely.  We 
had  the  usual  amount  of  bad  and  good  weather,  and  ran 
the  risk  several  times  of  upsetting  ;  we  had,  also,  several 
breakfasts,  dinners,  suppers,  and  beds  in  the  forest ;  and 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  we  arrived  at  Good- 
bout,  an  establishment  nearly  half-way  between  the  post 
I  had  left  and  the  one  to  which  I  was  bound.  Here  we 
stayed  all  night,  proposing  to  start  again  on  the  morrow. 
But  the  weather  was  so  stormy  as  to  prevent  us  for  a 
couple  of  days  trusting  ourselves  out  in  a  frail  bark 
canoe.        -v  ■  ,  ^  \ 

Early  on  the  third  morning,  however,  I  took  my  place 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


281 


icovered 
:  proper, 
age. 

Id  walk 
3val  and 
number 
)eing  at 
method, 
ed  in  a 
\i  I  had 
»rthwest. 
3  steers- 
as  bows- 
f  ballast 
got  as  a 

le  canoe 

in  good 

;h  loom- 

luzzle  of 

y.  We 
and  ran 
several 
:^st;  and 
it  Good- 
the  post 
Here  we 
morrow. 
us  for  a 
ail  bark 

oy  place 


as  steersman  in  the  stern  of  our  craft,  (my  former  guide 
being  obliged  to  leave  me  here,)  and  my  man  Mike 
squeezed  his  unwieldy  person  into  the  bow.  In  the 
middle  lay  our  provisions  and  baggage,  over  which  the 
black  muzzle  of  Humbug  peered  anxiously  out  upon  the 
ocean.  In  this  trim  we  paddled  from  the  beach,  amid 
a  shower  of  advice  to  keep  close  to  shore,  in  case  the 
htg-Jish — alias,  the  whales — might  take  a  fancy  to  up- 
set us.  •  * 

After  a  long  paddle  of  five  or  six  hours  we  arrived  at 
Pointe  des  Monts,  where  rough  weather  obliged  us  to 
put  ashore.  Here  I  remained  all  night,  and  slept  in  the 
light-house, — a  cylindrical  building  of  moderate  height, 
which  stands  on  a  rock  off  Pointe  des  Monts,  and  serves 
to  warn  sailors  off  the  numerous  shoals  with  which  this 
part  of  the  gulf  is  filled.  In  the  morning  we  fortunately 
found  an  Indian  with  his  boat,  who  was  just  starting  for 
Seven  Islands  ;  and  after  a  little  higgling,  at  which  Mike 
proved  himself  quite  an  adept,  he  agreed  to  give  us  a 
lift  for  a  few  pounds  of  tobacco.     Away,  then,  we  went, 

with 

"A  wet  sheet  and  a  flowing  sea,  ^ 

And  a  wind  that  follow'd  fast," 

ploughing  through  the  water  in  beautiful  style. 

The  interior  of  our  boat  presented  a  truly  ludicrous, 
and  rather  filthy  scene.  The  Indian,  who  was  a  fine- 
looking  man  of  about  thirty,  had  brought  his  whole 
family — sons,  daughters,  brothers,  sisters,  wife,  and 
mother — and  a  more  heterogeneous  mass' of  dirty,  dark- 
skinned  humanity,  I  never  before  had  the  ill-luck  to 
travel  with.  The  mother  of  the  flock  was  the  most  ex- 
traordinary being  that  I  ever  beheld.  She  must  have 
been  very  near  a  hundred  years  old,  as  black  and  wrink- 


il 


282 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


'r 


^fiSi- 


led  as  a  singed  hide,  yet  active  and  playful  as  a  kitten. 
She  was  a  very  bad  sailor,  however,  and  dived  down  into 
the  bottom  of  the  boat  the  moment  a  puff  of  wind  arose. 
Indians  have  a  most  extraordinary  knack  of  diminishing 
their  bulk,  which  is  very  convenient  sometimes.  Upon 
this  occasion  it  was  amusing  to  watch  them  settling  grad- 
ually down,  upon  the  slightest  appearance  of  wind,  until 
you  might  almost  believe  they  had  squeezed  themselves 
quite  through  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and  left  only  a  few 
dirty  blankets  to  tell  the  tale.  Truly,  one  rarely  meets 
with  such  a  compact  mass  of  human  ballast.  If,  how- 
ever, a  slight  lull  occurred,  or  the  sun  peeped  out  from 
behind  a  cloud,  there  was  immediately  a  perceptible  in- 
crease in  the  bulk  of  the  mass,  and  gradually  a  few  heads 
appeared,  then  a  leg,  and  soon  a  few  arms  ;  till  at  last 
the  whole  batch  were  up,  laughing  talking,  singing,  eat- 
ing, and  chattering,  in  a  most  uproarious  state  of  con- 
fusion ! 

After  the  usual  amount  of  storms,  calms,  and  contrary 
winds,  we  arrived  in  safety  at  the  post  of  Seven  Islands, 
where  I  threw  my  worthy  friend  Mr.  Anderson  into  a 
state  of  considerable  surprise  and  agitation,  by  informing 
him  that  in  the  individual  before  him  he  beheld  his  august 
successor!      .    :         '  '.•  >     ' 

.  The  establishment  of  Seven  Islands  is  anything  but  an 
inviting  place,  although  pretty  enough  on  a  fine  day ;  and 
the  general  appearance  of  the  surrounding  scenery  is 
lonely,  wild,  and  desolate.  The  houses  are  built  on  a  low 
sandy  beach,  at  the  bottom  of  the  large  bay  of  Seven 
Islands.  The  trees  around  are  thinly  scattered  and  very 
small.  In  the  background,  rugged  hills  stretch  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  see ;  and  in  front,  seven  lofty  islands,  from 
which  the  bay  and  post  derive  their  name,  obstruct  the 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


283 


\ 


view,  aflfording  only  a  partial  glimpse  of  the  open  sea 
be-  d.  No  human  habitations  exist  within  seventy 
m.  ;.  of  the  place.  Being  out  of  the  line  of  sailing,  no 
vessels  ever  visit  it,  except  when  driven  to  the  bay  for 
shelter ;  and  the  bay  is  so  large,  that  many  vessels  come 
in  and  go  out  again  without  having  been  observed.  Alto- 
gether, I  found  it  a  lonely  and  desolate  place,  during  a 
residence  of  nearly  four  months. 

An  extensive  salmon  fishery  is  earned  on  at  a  large 
river  called  the  Moisie.  about  eighteen  miles  below  the 
post,  where  the  Company  sometimes  catch  and  salt  up- 
wards of  eighty  and  ninety  tierces  of  fish.  - 

During  my  sojourn  there,  I  made  one  or  two  excur- 
sions to  the  fishery,  a  description  of  which  may  perhaps 
prove  interesting  to  those  versed  in  the  more  practical 
branches  of  ichthyology. 

It  was  a  lovely  morning  in  June  when  Mr.  Anderson 
and  I  set  out  from  Seven  Islands  on  foot,  with  our  coats 
(for  the  weather  was  warm)  slung  across  our  backs,  and 
walked  rapidly  along  the  beach  in  the  direction  of  the 
river  Moisie.  The  weather  was  very  calm,  and  the  mos- 
quitos,  consequently,  rather  annoying ;  but,  as  our  pro- 
gressive motion  disconcerted  their  operations  a  little,  we 
did  not  mind  them  much.  The  beach  all  the  way  was 
composed  of  fine  hard  sand,  so  that  we  found  the  walk 
very  agreeable.  A  few  loons  dived  about  in  the  sea,  and 
we  passed  two  or  three  flocks  of  black  ducks,  known  in 
some  parts  of  the  country  by  the  name  of  "  old  wives ; " 
but,  having  brought  no  gun  with  us,  the  old  ladies  were 
permitted  to  proceed  on  their  way  unmolested.  The  land 
all  along  presented  the  same  uniform  line  of  forest,  with 
the  yellow  sand  of  the  beach  glittering  at  its  edge  ;  and, 
as  we  cleared  the  islands,  the  boundless  ocean  opened 
upon  our  view., 


284 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


i    i 


m 

in 


In  about  four  hours  or  so,  we  arrived  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Moisie,  where  the  first  fishery  is  established.  Heref 
we  found  that  our  men  had  caught  and  sahed  a  good 
many  salmon,  some  of  which  had  just  come  from  the 
nets,  and  lay  on  the  grass,  plump  and  glittering,  in  their 
pristine  freshness.  They  looked  very  tempting,  and  we 
had  one  put  in  the  kettle  immediately,  which,  when  we 
set  to  work  at  him  soon  afterwards,  certainly  did  not  belie 
his  looks.  The  salmon  had  only  commenced  to  ascend 
the  river  that  day,  and  were  being  taken  by  fifties  at  a 
haul  in  the  nets.  The  fishery  was  attended  by  three 
men,  who  kept  seven  or  eight  nets  constantly  in  the 
water,  which  gave  them  enough  of  employment — two  of 
them  attending  to  the  nets,  while  the  third  split,  salted, 
and  packed  the  fish  in  large  vats.  Here  we  spent  the 
night,  and  slept  in  a  small  house  about  ten  feet  long 
by  eight  broad,  built  for  the  accommodation  of  the  fish- 
ermen. 

Next  morning  we  embarked  in  a  boat  belonging  to  a 
trapper,  and  went  up  the  river  with  a  fair  wind,  to  visit 
the  fisheries  higher  up.  On  the  way  we  passed  a  seal- 
net  belonging  to  the  owner  of  the  boat,  and  at  our  re- 
quest he  visited  it,  and  found  seven  or  eight  fine  seals  in 
it ;  they  were  all  dead,  and  full  of  water.  Seal-nets  are 
made  the  same  as  salraon-nets,  except  that  the  mesh  is 
larger,  the  seal  having  a  pretty  good-sized  cranium  of 
his  own.  After  a  good  deal  of  unravelling  and  pulling, 
we  got  them  all  out  of  the  net,  and  proceeded  onward 
with  our  cargo.  -':¥;:' 

The  scenery  on  the  river  Moisie  is  pleasing :  the  banks 
are  moderately  high,  and  covered  to  the  foot  with  the 
richest  and  most  variegated  verdure ;  while  here  and 
there,  upon  rounding  some  of  the  curvatures  of  the  stream, 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


285 


long  vistas  of  the  river  may  be  seen,  imbedded  in  luxu- 
riant foliage.  Thirteen  or  fourteen  miles  up  the  river  is 
the  Frog  Creek  fishery,  at  which  we  arrived  late  in  the 
afternoon,  and  found  that  tiie  man  superintending  it  had 
taken  a  good  many  fish,  and  expected  more.  He  visited 
his  nets  while  we  were  there,  but  returned  with  only  a 
few  salmon.  Some  of  them  were  badly  cut  up  by  the 
seals,  which  are  the  most  formidable  enemies  of  fishermen, 
as  they  eat  and  destroy  many  salmon,  besides  breaking 
the  nets.  "We  were  detained  here  by  rain  all  night,  and 
slept  in  the  small  fishing- house. 

Travelling  makes  people  acquainted  with  strange  beds 
as  well  as  strange  bedfellows ;  but  I  question  if  many 
people  can  boast  of  having  slept  on  a  bed  of  nets.  This 
we  were  obliged  to  do  here,  having  brought  no  blankets 
with  us,  as  we  expected  to  have  returned  to  the  Point 
fishery  in  the  evening.  The  bedstead  was  a  long  low 
platform,  in  one  end  of  the  little  cabin,  and  was  big 
enough  to  let  four  people  sleep  in  it — two  of  us  lying 
abreast  at  one  end,  and  two  more  at  the  other  end,  feet 
to  feet.  A  large  salmon-net  formed  a  pretty  good  mat- 
tress ;  another,  spread  out  on  top  of  us,  served  as  a 
blanket;  and  a  couple  of  trout-nets  were  excellent  as 
pillows.  From  this  piscatorial  couch  we  arose  early  on 
the  following  morning,  and  breakfasted  on  a  splendid 
fresh  salmon ;  after  which  we  resumed  our  journey.  In 
a  couple  of  hours  we  arrived  at  the  Rapid  fishery,  where 
I  found  that  my  old  friend  Mike,  the  Irishman,  had 
caught  a  great  number  of  salmon.  He  was  very  bitter, 
however,  in  his  remarks  upon  the  seals,  which  it  seems 
had  made  great  havoc  among  his  nets  during  the  last  two 
days.  A  black  bear,  too,  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  his 
station  every  morning,  and,  sittin^  on  a  rock  not  far  off. 


n 


286 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


r^., 


watched  his  motions  with  great  apparent  interest  while 
he  took  the  fish  out  of  the  nets.  Mike,  poor  man,  regretted 
very  much  that  he  had  no  gun,  as  he  might  perhaps  shoot 
"  the  baste."  Bears  are  very  destructive  at  times  to  the 
salted  salmon,  paying  visits  during  the  night  to  the  vats, 
and  carrying  off  and  tearing  to  pieces  far  more  than  they 
are  capable  of  devourinj;.  s 

,  While  inspecting  the  nets  here,  we  witnessed  an  inter- 
esting seal-hunt.  Two  Indians,  in  separate  canoes,  were 
floating  quietly  in  a  small  eddy,  with  their  guns  cocked, 
ready  to  fire  at  the  first  unfortunate  seal  that  should  show 
his  head  on  the  surface  of  the  stream.  They  had  not 
waited  long  when  one  popped  up  his  head,  and  instantly 
got  a  shot,  which  evidently  hurt  him,  as  he  splashed  a 
little  and  then  dived.  In  a  minute  the  Indian  reloaded 
his  gun,  and  paddled  out  into  the  stream,  in  order  to  have 
another  shot  the  moment  the  seal  rose  for  air ;  this  he 
did  in  a  short  time,  when  another  shot  was  fired,  which 
turned  him  over  apparently  lifeless.  The  Indian  then  laid 
down  his  gun,  and  seizing  his  paddle,  made  towards  the 
spot  where  the  seal  lay.  He  had  scarcely  approached  a 
few  yards,  however,  when  it  recovered  a  little,  and  dived, 
much  to  the  Indian's  chagrin,  who  had  approached  too 
near  the  head  of  a  small  rapid,  and  went  down,  stern  fore- 
most, just  at  the  moment  his  friend  the  seal  did  the  same. 
On  arriving  at  the  bottom,  the  animal,  after  one  or  two 
kicks,  expired,  and  the  Indian  at  last  secured  his  prize. 
After  this,  we  embarked  again  in  our  boat ;  and  the  wind 
for  once  deter  med  to  be  accommodating,  as  it  shifted  in 
our  favor,  almost  at  the  same  time  that  we  turned  to  re- 
trace our  way.  In  a  few  hours  we  arrived  at  the  fishery 
near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where  we  found  supper  just 
ready. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


287 


\ 


After  supper,  which  we  had  about  eight  o'clock,  the 
night  looked  so  fine,  and  the  mosquitos  in  the  little 
smoky  house  were  so  troublesome,  that  we  determined  to 
walk  up  to  the  post ;  so,  ordering  one  of  the  men  to  fol- 
low us,  away  we  went  along  the  beach.  The  night  was 
fine,  though  dark,  and  we  trudged  rapidly  along.  It  was 
very  tiresome  work,  however,  as,  the  tide  being  full,  we 
were  obliged  to  walk  upon  the  soft  sand.  Everything 
along  the  beach  looked  huge  and  mystical  in  the  un- 
certain light ;  and  this,  accompanied  with  the  solemn 
boom  of  the  waves  as  they  fell  at  long  intervals  upon  the 
shore,  made  the  scene  quite  romantic.  After  five  hours* 
sharp  walking,  with  pocket-handkerchiefs  tied  round  our 
heads  to  guard  us  from  the  attacks  of  mosquitos,  we 
arrived  at  Seven  Islands  between  one  and  two  in  the 
morning. 

Not  long  after  this,  a  boat  arrived  with  orders  for  my 
companion,  Mr.  Anderson,  to  pack  up  his  worldly  goods, 
and  set  sail  for  Tadousac.  The  same  day  he  completely 
gutted  my  dwelling-house ;  and,  after  packing  up  nearly 
every  movable  it  contained,  bade  me  adieu  and  set  sail. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  boat  vanished  behind  a  point  of  land, 
and  I  turned  to  look  at  my  now  deserted  home. 

The  situation  in  which  I  found  myself  was  a  novel, 
and,  to  say  truth,  not  a  very  agreeable  one.  A  short  way 
off  stood  a  man  watching  contemplatively  the  point  round 
which  the  boat  had  just  disappeared  ;  and  this  man  was 
my  only  companion  in  the  world ! — my  Friday,  in  fact. 
Not  another  human  being  lived  within  sixty  miles  of  our 
solitary  habitation,  with  the  exception  of  the  few  men  at 
the  distant  fishery.  In  front  of  us,  the  mighty  Gulf  of 
St.  Lawrence  stretched  out  to  the  horizon,  its  swelling 
bosom  unbroken,  save  by  the  dipping  of  a  sea-gull  or 


288 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


''^-  <>i 


the  fin  of  a  whale.  Behind  hiy  the  dense  forest  stretch- 
ing back,  witliout  a  break  in  its  primeval  wildness, 
across  the  whole  continent  of  America  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean  ;  while  above  and  below  lay  the  rugged  mountains 
that  form  the  shores  of  the  gulf.  As  I  walked  up  to  the 
house,  and  wandered  like  a  ghost  through  its  empty 
rooms,  I  felt  inexpressibly  melancholy,  and  began  to  have 
unpleasant  anticipations  of  spending  the  winter  on  this 
lonely  spot. 

Just  as  this  thought  occurred  to  me,  my  dog  Humbug 
boundied  into  the  room,  and,  looking  with  a  comical  ex- 
pression up  in  my  face  for  a  moment,  went  bounding  off 
again.  This  incident  induced  me  to  take  a  more  philo- 
sophical view  of  affairs.  I  began  to  gaze  round  upon 
my  domain,  and  whisper  to  myself  that  I  was  "  monarch 
of  all  I  surveyed."  All  the  mighty  trees  in  the  wood 
were  mine — if  I  chose  to  cut  them  down  ;  all  the  fish  in 
the  sea  were  mine — if  I  could  only  catch  them  ;  and  the 
palace  of  Seven  Islands  was  also  mine.  The  regal  feel- 
ing  inspired  by  the  consideration  of  these  things  induced 
me  to  call  in  a  very  kingly  tone  of  voice  for  my  man 
(he  was  a  French  Canadian),  who  politely  answered, 
"  Oui,  Monsieur."  "  Dinner ! "  said  I,  falling  back  in 
my  throne,  and  contemplating  through  the  palace  win- 
dow, our  vast  dominions  ! 

On  the  following  day  a  small  party  of  Indians  arrived, 
and  the  bustle  of  trading  their  furs,  and  asking  questions 
about  their  expectations  of  a  good  winter  hunt,  tended  to 
disperse  those  unpleasant  feelings  of  loneliness  that  at 
first  assailed  me.  ' 

•{  One  of  these  poor  Indians  had  died  while  travelling, 
and  his  relatives  brought  the  body  to  be  interred  in  our 
little  burying-ground.     The  poor  creatures  came  in  a 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


289 


•est  stretch- 
,1  wiklness, 
the  Pacific 
I  mountains 
d  up  to  the 
its  empty 
gan  to  have 
iter  on  this 

g  Humbug 
jomical  ex- 
)uncling  off 
Qore  philo- 
•ound  upon 
I  "  monarch 

the  wood 
the  fish  in 
Q ;  and  the 

regal  feel- 
igs  induced 
or  my  man 

answered, 
ig  back  in 
»alace  win- 

ns  arrived, 
questions 
tended  to 

3SS  that  at 


travelling, 
fed  in  our 
came  in  a 


' 


very  melancholy  mood  to  ask  me  for  a  few  planks  to  make 
a  coflin  for  him.  They  soon  constructed  a  rough  wooden 
box,  in  which  the  corpse  was  placed,  and  then  buried. 
No  ceremony  attended  the  interment  of  this  poor  savage ; 
no  prayer  was  uttered  over  the  grave ;  and  the  only 
mark  that  the  survivors  left  upon  the  place  was  a  small 
wooden  cross,  which  those  Indians  who  have  been  visited 
by  Boman  Catholic  priests  are  in  the  habit  of  erecting 
over  their  departed  relatives.  ' 

The  almost  total  absence  of  religion  of  any  kind 
among  these  unhappy  natives  is  truly  melancholy.  The 
very  name  of  our  blessed  Saviour  is  almost  unknown  by 
the  hundreds  of  Indians  who  inhabit  the  vast  forests  of 
North  America.  It  is  strange  that,  while  so  many  mis- 
sionaries have  been  sent  to  the  southern  parts  of  the 
earth,  so  few  should  have  been  sent  to  the  northward. 
There  are  not,  I  believe,  more  than  a  dozen  or  so  of 
Protestant  clergjrmen  over  the  whole  wide  northern  con- 
tinent. 

For  at  least  a  century  these  North  American  Indians 
have  hunted  for  the  white  men,  and  poured  annually  into 
Britain  a  copious  stream  of  wealth.  Surely  it  is  the 
duty  of  Christian  Britain,  in  return,  to  send  out  faithful 
servants  of  God  to  preach  the  gospel  of  our  Lord 
throughout  their  land. 

The  Indians,  after  spending  a  couple  of  days  at  the 
establishment^-during  which  time  they  sold  me  a  great 
many  furs — set  out  again  to  return  to  their  distant  wig- 
wams. It  is  strange  to  contemplate  the  precision  and 
certainty  with  which  these  men  travel  towards  any  part 
of  the  vast  wilderness,  even  where  their  route  lies,  across 
numerous  intricate  and  serpentine  rivers.  But  the 
strangest  thing  of  all  is,  the  savage's  certainty  of  finding 

19 


H 


■»    I 


I*' 


290 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


his  way  in  winter  through  the  trackless  forest,  to  a  place 
where  perhaps,  he  never  was  before,  and  of  which  he  has 
had  only  a  slight  description.  They  have  no  compasses, 
but  the  means  by  which  they  discover  the  cardinal  points 
is  curious.  If  an  Indian  happens  to  become  confused 
with  regard  to  this,  he  lays  down  his  burden,  and,  taking 
his  axe,  cuts  through  the  bark  of  a  tree  ;  from  the  thick- 
ness or  thinness  of  which  he  can  tell  the  north  point  at 
once,  the  bark  being  thicker  on  that  side. 

For  a  couple  of  weeks  after  this,  I  remained  at  the 
post  with  my  solitary  man,  endeavoring  by  all  the  means 
in  my  power,  to  dispel  ennui ;  but  it  was  a  hard  task. 
Sometimes  I  shouldered  my  gun  and  ranged  about  the 

11  forest  in  search  of  game,  and  occasionally  took  a  swim 
in  the  sea.  I  was  ignorant  at  the  time,  however,  that 
there  were  sharks  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  else  I 
should  have  been  more  cautious.  The  Indians  after- 
wards told  me  that  they  were  often  seen,  and  several 
gentlemen  who  had  lived  long  on  the  coast  corroborated 
their  testimony.  Several  times  Indians  have  left  the 
shores  of  the  gulf  in  their  canoes,  to  go  hunting,  and 
have  never  been  heard  of  again,  although  the  weather 
at  the  time  was  calm ;  so  that  it  was  generally  believed 
that  sharks  had  upset  the  canoes  and  devoured  the  men. 
An  occurrence  that  afterwards  happened  to  an  Indian 
renders  this  supposition  highly  probable.  This  man  had 
been  travelling  along  the  shores  of  the  gulf  with  his 
family,  a  wife  and  several  children,  in  a  small  canoe. 
Towards   evening,  as  he  was  crossing  a  large  bay,  a 

,  shark  rose  near  his  canoe,  and  after  reconnoitring  a 
short  time,  swam  towards  it,  and  endeavored  to  upset  it. 
The  size  of  the  canoe,  however,  rendered  this  impossi- 
ble ;  so  the  ferocious  monster  actually  began  to  break  it 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


291 


to  pieces,  by  rushing  forcibly  against  it.  The  Indian 
fired  at  the  shark  when  he  first  saw  it,  but  without  effect ; 
and,  not  Imving  time  to  reload,  he  seized  his  paddle  and 
made  for  the  shore.  The  canoe,  however,  from  the  re- 
peated attacks  of  the  fish,  soon  became  leaky,  and  it  was 
evident  that  in  a  few  minutes  more  the  whole  party  would 
be  at  the  mercy  of  the  infuriated  monster.  In  this  ex- 
tremity the  Indian  took  up  his  youngest  child,  an  infant 
of  a  few  months  old,  and  dropped  it  overboard ;  and 
while  the  shark  was  devouring  it,  the  rest  of  the  party 
gained  the  shore. 

I  sat  one  morning  ruminating  on  the  pleasures  of  soli- 
tude in  the  palace  of  Seven  Islands,  and  gazed  through 
the  window  at  my  solitary  man,  who  was  just  leaving  an 
old  boat  he  had  been  repairing,  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
paring dinner.  The  wide  ocean,  which  rolled  its  waves 
almost  to  the  dooj*  of  the  house,  was  calm  and  unruffled^ 
and  the  yellow  beach  shone  again  in  the  sun's  rays,  while 
Humbug  lay  stretched  out  at  full  length  before  the  door. 
After  contemplating  this  scene  for  some  time,  I  rose,  and 
was  just  turning  away  from  the  window,  when  I  descried 
a  man,  accompanied  by  a  boy,  walking  along  the  sea- 
shore towards  the  house.  This  unusual  sight  created  in 
me  almost  as  strong,  though  not  so  unpleasant  a  sensa- 
tion as  was  awakened  in  the  bosom  of  Robinson  Crusoe 
when  he  discovered  the  foot-print  in  the  sand.  Hastily 
putting  on  my  cap,  I  ran  out  to  meet  him,  and  found,  to 
my  joy  that  he  was  a  trapper  of  my  acquaintance ;  and, 
what  added  immensely  to  the  novelty  of  the  thing,  he 
was  also  a  lohite  man  and  a  gentleman !  He  had  entered 
one  of  the  fur  companies  on  the  coast  at  an  early  age, 
and  a  few  years  afterwards,  fell  in  love  with  an  Indian 
girl,  whom  he  married;  and,  ultimately,  he  became  a 


Ji' 1'  3 


W  '■:  • 


292 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


trapper.  He  was  a  fine  good-natured  man,  and  had  been 
well  educated ;  and  to  hoar  philosophical  discourse  pro- 
ceeding from  the  lips  of  one  who  was,  in  outward  ap- 
pearance, a  regular  Indian,  was  very  strange  'nueed. 
He  was  dressed  in  the  usual  capote,  leggiT'",  ond  liiocca- 
sins  of  a  hunter. 

"  What  have  you  got  for  dinner  ?  **  was  his  first  ques- 
tion, after  shaking  hands  with  me. 

"  Pork  and  pancakes,"  said  I. 

"  Oh,"  said  the  trapper,  "  the  first  salt,  and  the  latter 
made  of  flour  and  water  ?  " 

"Just  so;  and  with  the  exception  of  some  bread,  and 
a  few  ground  pease  in  lieu  of  coffee,  this  hat  be*!/  my 
diet  for  three  weeks  back." 

"  You  might  have  done  better,"  said  the  trapper,  point- 
ing towards  a  blue  line  in  the  sea  ;  "  look,  there  are  fish 
enough,  if  you  only  took  the  trouble  to  catch  them." 

As  he  said  this,  I  advanced  to  the  edge  of  tlie  water, 
and  there  to  my  astonishment  discovered,  that  what  I 
had  taken  for  sea-weed,  wjis  a  shoal  of  kippling,  so  dense 
that  they  seemrd  scarcely  able  to  move. 

Upon  behukUng  this,  1  recollected  having  seen  a  couple 
of  old  hand-nets  in  some  of  the  stores,  which  we  imme- 
diately sent  the  trapper's  son  (a  youth  of  twelve)  to 
fetch.  In  a  few  minutes  he  returned  with  them ;  so, 
tucking  up  our  trousers,  we  both  went  into  the  water  and 
scooped  the  fish  out  by  dozens.  It  required  great  quick- 
ness, however,  as  they  shot  into  deep  water  like  light- 
ning, and  sometimes  made  us  run  in  so  deep,  that  we  wet 
ourselves  consiJorably.  Indeed,  the  s'.iovr  becam'  ex- 
citing at  last,  that  we  gave  over  ui templing  to  keep  our 
clothes  dry ;  and  in  an  hour  we  returned  home,  laden 
with  kippling,  and  wet  to  the  skin. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


•293 


The  fish,  which  measured  from  four  to  five  inches  long, 
were  really  excellent,  and  lent  an  additional  relish  to  the 
pork,  pancnkes,  and  ftea^e  coffee  ! 

I  prevailed  (ii»un  the  tra,  i)er  to  remain  with  me  during 
the  follo\  'ng  week  ,  iind  a  very  pleasant  iie  we  had 
of  it,  puddluig  about  in  a  caiio*".  or  walking  i)"ough  tlio 
woods,  while  my  companion  told  lac  numerous  ;.  '^cdotes, 
with  which  his  memory  v»  s  stored  Some  of  the  i'  were 
grave  and  some  comical ;  e  ;)eciall}  one,  in  which  he  de- 
scribed a  bear-hunt  that  he  uiid  his  son  had  on  the  coast 
of  Labrador. 

He  had  been  out  on  a  shooting  ex^)edition,  and  .as 
returning  home  in  his  canoe,  when,  on  turning  a  henJ- 
land,  he  discovered  a  black  bear  walking  leisurely  aloiig 
the  beach.  Now,  the  place  where  he  discovered  him  was 
a  very  wild,  rugged  spot.  At  the  bo  cm  of  the  bay  rose 
a  high  precipice,  so  that  Bruin  could  liot  escape  that 
way ;  along  the  beach,  in  the  directioi  in  which  he  had 
been  walking,  a  cape,  which  the  rising  ide  now  washed, 
prevented  his  retreating ;  so  that  the  on  y  chance  for  the 
brute  to  escape  was,  by  running  past  the  trapper,  within 
a  few  yards  of  him.  In  this  dilemma,  the  bear  bethought 
himself  of  trying  the  precipice ;  so,  coUeci  ing  himself,  he 
made  a  bolt  for  it,  and  actually  managed  o  scramble  up 
thirty  or  forty  feet,  when  bang  went  the  boy's  gun  ;  but 
the  shot  missed,  and  it  appeared  as  if  the  beast  would 
actually  get  away,  when  the  trapper  took  a  deliberate 
aim  and  fired.  The  effect  of  the  shot  was  so  comical, 
that  the  two  hunters  could  scarcely  reload  their  guns  for 
laughing.  Bruin,  upon  receiving  the  shot,  covered  his 
head  with  his  fore-paws,  and  curling  himself  up  like  a 
ball,  came  thundering  down  the  precipice  head  over 
heels,  raising  clouds   of  dust,  and  hurling  sihowers  of 

19  * 


« 


u 


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1  f 


I, , 


i? 


IB; 

I?; , 

f\\ 
r  -!  .<  '  it 

iky  Li   , 


jji 


294 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


stones  down  in  his  descent,  till  he  actually  rolled  at  the 
trapper's  feet ;  and  then,  getting  slowly  up,  he  lookeu  at 
him  with  such  a  bewildered  expression,  that  the  man 
could  scarcely  refrain  from  laughter,  even  while  in  the 
act  of  blowing  the  beast's  brains  out. 

This  man  had  also  a  narrow  escape  of  having  a  boxing 
match  with  a  moose-deer  or  elk.  The  moose  has  a  strange 
method  of  fighting  with  its  forefeet;  getting  up  on  its 
hind-legs,  and  boxing,  as  it  were,  with  great  energy  and 
deadly  force.  The  trapper,  upon  the  occasion  referred 
to,  was  travelling  with  an  Indian,  who  having  discovered 
the  track  of  a  moose  in  the  snow,  set  off  in  chase  of  it, 
while  the  trapper  pursued  his  way  with  the  Indian's  pack 
of  furs  and  provisions  on  his  shoulders.  He  had  not  gone 
far  when  he  heard  a  shot,  and  the  next  moment  a  moose- 
deer,  as  large  as  a  horse,  sprang  through  the  bushes  and' 
stood  in  front  of  him.  The  animal  came  so  suddenly  on 
the  trapper,  that  it  could  not  turn  ;  so,  rising  up  with  a 
savage  look,  it  prepared  to  strike  him,  when  another  shot 
was  fired  from  among  the  bushes  by  the  Indian,  and  the 
moose,  springing  nearly  its  own  height  itito  the  air  fell 
dead  upon  the  snow. 

About  a  week  after  his  arrival,  the  trapper  departed, 
and  left  me  again  in  solitude. 

•  ••••• 

J7ie  last  voyage. — There  is  something  very  sad  and 
melancholy  in  these  words — the  last.  The  last  look ; 
the  last  word  ;  the  last  smile  ;  even  the  last  shilling,  have 
all  a  peculiarly  melancholy  import ; — but  the  last  voyage, 
to  one  M^ho  has  lived,  as  it  were,  on  travelling ;  who  has 
slept  for  weeks  and  months  under  the  shadow  of  the  for- 
est trees,  and  dwelt  among  the  wild,  romantic  scenes  of 
the   wilderness,  has   a  peculiar   and   thrilling  interest. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


295 


Each  tree  I  passed  on  leaving,  shook  its  boughs  mourn- 
fully, as  if  it  felt  hurt  at  being  thus  forsaken.  The  very 
rocks  seemed  to  frown  reproachfully,  while  I  stood  up 
and  gazed  wistfully  after  each  well-known  object  for  the 
last  time.  Even  the  wind  seemed  to  sympathize  with  the 
rest ;  for,  while  it  urged  the  boat  swiftly  away  from  my 
late  home,  like  a  faithful  friend  holding  steadfastly  on  its 
favoring  course,  still  it  fell  occasionally,  and  rose  again 
in  gusts  and  sighs,  as  if  it  wished  to  woo  me  back  again 
to  solitude.  I  started  on  this,  the  last  voyage,  shortly 
after  the  departure  of  my  friend  the  trapper,  leaving 
the  palace  in  charge  of  an  unfortunate  gentleman  who 
brought  a  wife  and  five  children  with  him,  which  ren- 
dered Seven  Islands  a  little  less  gloomy  than  heretofore. 
Five  men  accompanied  me  in  an  open  boat ;  and  on 
the  morning  of  the  25th  August  we  took  our  departure 
for  Tadousac ;  and,  truly,  nature  appeared  to  be  aware 
that  it  was  my  last  voyage ;  for  she  gave  us  the  most  un- 
kind and  harassing  treatment  that  I  ever  experiences  at 
her  hands. 

The  first  few  miles  were  accomplished  pleasantly 
enough.  We  had  a  fair  breeze,  and  not  too  much  of  it ; 
but  towards  the  afternoon,  it  shifted,  and  blew  directly 
against  us,  so  that  the  men  were  obliged  to  take  to  the 
oars — and,  as  the  boat  was  large,  it  required  them  all  to 
pull,  while  I  steered. 

The  men  were  all  French  Canadians ;  a  merry,  care- 
less, but  persevering  set  of  fellows,  just  cut  out  for  the 
work  they  had  to  do  ;  and  moreover  accustomed  to  it. 
The  boat  was  a  clumsy  affair,  with  two  spritsails,  and  a 
jigger  or  mizzen ;  but,  notwithstanding,  she  looked  well 
at  a  distance,  and  though  incapable  of  progressing  very 
fast  through  the  water,  she  could  stand  a  pretty  heavy 


t- 


296 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


M 


:i 


MM 


J 


m 


1 


sea.  We  were  badly  off,  however,  with  regard  to  camp 
gear,  having  neither  tent  nor  oil-cloth  to  protect  us, 
should  it  rain.  Indeed,  all  we  had  to  guard  us  from  the 
inclemency  of  the  weather  at  night  was  one  blanket  each 
man ;  but  as  the  weather  had  been  fine  and  settled  for 
some  time  back,  we  hoped  to  get  along  pretty  well. 

As  for  provisions,  we  had  pork  and  flour,  besides  a 
small  quantity  of  burnt-pease  coffee,  which  I  treasured 
up  as  a  great  delicacy. 

Our  first  encampment  was  a  good  one.  The  night, 
though  dark,  was  fine  and  calm,  so  that  we  slept  very 
comfortably  upon  the  beach ;  every  man  with  his  feet 
towards  the  fire,  from  which  we  all  radiated  like  the 
spokes  of  a  wheel.  But  our  next  bivouac  was  not  so 
good.  *  The  day  had  been  very  boisterous  and  wet,  so 
that  we  lay  down  to  rest  in  damp  clothes,  with  the  pleas- 
ant reflection  that  we  had  scarcely  advanced  ten  miles. 
The  miseries  of  our  fifth  day,  however,  were  so  numerous 
and  complicated,  that  it  at  last  became  absurd  !  It  was 
a  drizzly,  damp  morning,  to  begin  with.  Soon  this  gave 
way  to  a  gale  of  contrary  wind,  so  that  we  could  scarcely 
proceed  at  the  rate  of  half  a  mile  an  hour ;  and  in  the 
evening  we  were  under  the  necessity  either  of  running 
back  five  miles  to  reach  a  harbor,  or  of  anchoring  off  an 
exposed  lee-shore.  Preferring  the  latter  course,  even  at 
the  risk  of  losing  our  boat  altogether,  we  cast  anchor, 
and,  leaving  a  man  in  the  boat,  waded  ashore.  Here 
things  looked  very  wretched  indeed.  Everything  was 
wet  and  clammy.  Very  little  firewood  was  to  be  found, 
and  when  it  was  found,  we  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in 
getting  it  to  light.  At  last,  however,  the  fire  blazed  up  ; 
and  though  it  still  rained,  we  began  to  feel,  comparatively 
speaking,  comfortable. 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


297 


\ 


Now,  it  must  have  been  about  midnight  when  I  awoke, 
wheezing  and  sniffling  with  a  bad  cold,  and  feeling  un- 
commonly wretched — the  fire  having  gone  out,  and  the 
drizzly  rain  having  increased ;  and  while  I  was  endeavor- 
ing to  cover  myself  a  little  better  with  a  wet  blanket,  the 
man  who  had  been  left  to  watch  the  boat  rushed  in  among 
us,  and  said  that  it  had  been  driven  ashore,  and  would 
infallibly  go  to  pieces  if  not  shoved  out  to  sea  immedi- 
ately. Up  we  all  got,  and,  rushing  down  to  the  beach, 
were  speedily  groping  about  in  tne  dark,  up  to  our  waists 
in  water,  while  the  roaring  breakers  heaved  the  boat 
violently  against  our  breasts.  After  at  least  an  hour 
of  this  work,  we  got  it  afloat  again,  and  returned  to 
our  beds,  where  we   lay  shivering  in  wet  clothes  till 


mornmg. 


We  had  several  other  nights  nearly  as  bad  as  this  one, 
and  once  or  twice  narrowly  escaped  being  smashed  to 
pieces  among  rocks  and  shoals,  while  travelling  in  foggy 
weather. 

Even  the  last  day  of  the  voyage  had  something  un- 
pleasant in  store  for  us.  As  we  neared  the  mouth  of  the 
river  Saguenay,  the  tide  began  to  recede ;  and  ere  long 
the  current  became  so  strong  that  we  could  not  make 
headway  against  it;  we  had  no  alternative,  therefore, 
but  to  try  to  run  ashors,  there  to  remain  until  the  tide 
should  rise  again.  Now  it  so  happened  that  a  sand-bank 
caught  our  keel  just  as  we  turned  broadside  to  the  cur- 
rent, and  the  water,  rushing  against  the  boat  with  the 
force  of  a  mill-race,  turned  it  up  on  one  side,  till  it  stood 
quiverings  as  if  undecided  whether  or  not  to  roll  over  on 
top  of  us.  A  simultaneous  rush  of  the  men  to  the  ele- 
vated side  decided  the  question,  and  caused  it  to  fall 
squash  down  on  its  keel  again,  where  it  lay  for  the  next 


H 


; 


298 


HUDSON'S  BAY. 


four  or  five  hours,  being  left  quite  dry  by  the  tide.  As 
this  happened  within  a  few  miles  of  our  journey's  end,  I 
left  the  men  to  take  care  of  the  boat,  and  walked  along 
the  beach  to  Tadousac. 

Here  I  remained  some  time,  and  then  travelled  through 
the  beautiful  lakes  of  Canada,  and  the  United  States,  to 
New  York.  But  here  I  must  pause.  As  I  said  before, 
I  write  not  of  civilized,  but  of  savage  life ;  and,  having 
now  o'ershot  the  boundary,  it  is  time  to  close. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  1847,  I  bade  adieu  to  the  West- 
ern hemisphere,  and  sailed  for  England  in  the  good  ship 
New  York.  • 

The  air  was  light  and  warm,  and  the  sun  unclouded, 
as  we  floated  slowly  out  to  sea,  and  ere  long  the  vessel 
bathed  her  swelling  bows  in  the  broad  Atlantic.      V  . 

Gradually,  as  if  loath  to  part,  the  wood-clad  shores  of 
America  grew  faint  and  dim  ;  I  turned  my  eyes,  for  the 
last  time,  upon  the  distant  shore ;  the  blue  hills  quivered 
for  a  moment  on  the  horizon,  as  if  to  bid  us  all  a  long 
farewell,  and  then  sank  into  the  liquid  bosom  of  the 
ocean. 


THE   END. 


'■^# 


y  the  tide.     As 

journey's  end,  I 

id  walked  along 

■■■       "■;■-■ 

'           -         '    '                                                             **• 

ravelled  through 

■  ^ :  '"■■.'     '    .      , 

Jnited  States,  to 

^s  I  said  before, 

ife ;  and,  having 

lose. 

ieu  to  the  West- 

• 

in  the  good  ship 

J  sun  unclouded. 

■»  ■  =           .  *j 

long  the  vessel 

Ltlantic. 

■"■■'"                                                         t 

)d-elad  shores  of 

my  eyes,  for  the 

ue  hills  quivered 

bid  us  all  a  long 

d  bosom  of  the 

- 

.    !      ^ 

>             ','  ,^ , 

\ 

( 

•    -. 

